THE 


—  OF  — 


NRW  MR.XICO. 


THE  — 


OF  THE 


Famous  Percha  District. 


KINGSTON,  NEW  MEXICO. 
PUBLISHED  AT  THE  TRIBUNE  OFFICE: 

1883. 


A  SKETCH  OF 

KINGSTON 


ITS  SURROUNDINGS. 


The  Mining  Center  of  the 

FAMOUS  F.ERCHA  DISTRICT, 

New  Mexico. 


Its  Resources  and  Advantages  Truthfully  Pre 

sented  to  the  Attention  of  Business 

Men  and  Capitalists. 

—EDITED  BY  CHAS.  W.  GREENE.— 


KINGSTON,  NEW  MEXICO. 

PUBLISHED  BY  THE  TRIBUNE  OFFICE 

1883. 


WILL  BE  SENT  ON  APPLICATION 

This  publication  is  made  for  the  purpose  of  presenting  a  reliable  description  of 
Kingston  and  the  surrounding  mining  district.  It  will  be  sent  to  any  address  upon 
receipt  of  a  three  cent  stamp  to  cover  postage. 

Address  THE  PUBLISHERS. 


KINGSTON, 


THE  GEM    OF   THE  RANGE. 


Few  places  have  ever  attracted  so  much  attention  within  so 
brief  a  period  of  time  as  has  the  one  which  it  is  the  purpose  of  this 
pamphlet  to  describe. 

In  a  section  of  the  country  comparatively  'little  known  to  the 
general  public,  but  recently  the  exclusive  home  of  the  Indian,  a  lo- 
cality having  few  attractions  for  the  average  newspaper  reporter,  its 
almost  marvelous  wealth  of  mineral  deposits  had  never  been  suspect- 
ed. The  Kingston  or  Percha  district  is  not,  however,  a  placer  dis- 
trict as  is  the  region  around  Hillsboro,  twelve  miles  distant.  Here 
the  precious  metals  are  found  only  in  lodes  or  veins,  and  the  extrac- 
tion of  them,  although  extremely  profitable,  is  a  work  of  time,  labor 
and  patience,  requiring  ample  resources  of  working  capital.  It  is 
not  a  poor  man's  district,  and  the  prospector  who  discovers  never  so 
good  a  property  must  wait  until  the  attention  of  the  capitalist  has 
been  secured  before  he  can  realize  any  portion  of  its  actual  value. 

Such  attention  has  been  and  is  being  attracted,  and  no  week 
now  passes  that  there  are  not  only  one  but  several  transfers  of  pro- 
perty to  men  having  means  to  develop  it.  To  assist  such  parties  in 
making  their  selections  intelligently ;  to  give  a  general  idea  of  the 
location  of  the  Percha  district,  relatively  to  the  surrounding  country; 
to  present  the  special  features  of  its  geological  formations  and  mine 
ral  deposits,  and  the  extent  of  their  development;  to  describe  briefly 
the  mines  and  prospects  upon  which  work  has  been  done  already, 
and  the  indications  presented  in  each,  making  of  it  so  far  as  possible 


4 

a  record  of  the  dates  of  location  and  present  ownership  ;  these  are 
some  of  the  objects  in  view  in  making  this  publication.  It  is  not 
advisable  to  attract  here  the  mechanic  or  laborer  before  there  is  work 
for  them,  or  the  merchant  whose  business  is  already  overdone.  Such 
industries  come  in  their  due  time. 

LOCATION    OF    THE    PERCHA    DISTRICT. 

Its  boundaries  are  not  distinctly  denned,  but  nature  has  so  dis- 
posed the  mountain  ranges  that  it  is  not  difficult  to  point  out  what 
may  be  fairly  considered  tributary  to  Kingston  as  a  common  center, 
having  community  interests.  It  is  located  on  the  eastern  slope  of 
the  Black  Range  near  its  southern  terminus.  It  includes  the  vallies 
of  the  chief  tributaries  of  the  Rio  Percha,  known  as  the  north,  mid* 
die  and  south  Perchas,  with  the  smaller  creeks  emptying  into  them, 
and  the  upper  or  western  canyons  or  gulches  drained  by  Trujillo 
creek.  The  Tierra  Blanca  district  lies  directly  south  and  is  disputed 
territory  as  between  the  Kingston  and  Lake  Valley  people,  but  is 
not  likely  to  remain  so  when  the  toll-road  recently  incorporated  shall 
be  built  between  Kingston  and  Deming  via  the  Tierra  Blanca  [white 
earth].  Over  a  divide  to  the  northeast  of  the  Hillsboro  mine,  on 
the  north  Percha,  is  the  True  Fissure  district  on  a  tributary  of  the 
same.  Still  farther  north  in  the  same  direction  is  the  Cave  creek 
district.  These  are  both  tributary  to  Kingston  and  will  become 
identified  in  interest  with  it. 

Kingston,  the  mercantile  center  of  the  district,  and  Percha  City, 
where  are  located  several  stores  and  a  sawmill,  are  accessible  by  an 
excellent  wagon  road  from  Hillsboro,  about  twelve  miles  distant  from 
either  point.  The  distance  is  not  more  than  eight 'miles,  as  the  crow 
flies,  almost  due  east  from  Kingston.  From  Hillsboro  to  Lake 
Valley  it  is  sixteen  miles,  and  to  Nutt.  the  railway  station,  thirteen 
miles  farther,  making  a  total  distance  of  forty-one  miles,  most  of  the 
way  over  roads  which  could  hardly  be  improved  by  macadamizing. 
Traveling  on  horseback  over  the  mountain  trails  the  distance  to  Lake 
Valley  is  less  than  twenty  miles,  and  to  Percha  City  but  about 
three  miles — by  the  road  it  is  six  miles.  By  the  proposed  toll-road 
to  Deming  the  distance  will  be  forty-five  miles.  By  the  trail  across 
the  mountains  to  Georgetown  it  is  twenty-five  miles,  and  to  Silver 
City,  twenty-two  miles  farther.  To  the  north  of  us,  in  the  Range,  is 
Chloride,  forty  miles,  and  Grafton,  forty-eight  miles  by  the  trail,  or 


5 

fifty-five  and  sixty-five  miles,  respectively,  by  the  wagon  road  via 
Hillsboro.  From  here  to  Socorro  across  the  country  by  available 
routes  the  distance  is  about  one  hundred  and  sixty  miles. 

TOPOGRAPHY    OF    THE    DISTRICT. 

The  general  surface  of  the  district  is  broken  by  spurs  of  the 
main  range  which  shoot  out  from  it  in  varying  directions  and  which 
are  scored  by  deep  gulches  or  canyons,  often  presenting  almost  per- 
pendicular walls  hundreds  of  feet  high.  Standing  upon  the  higher 
peaks  the  view  is  extremely  picturesque,  and  one  wonders  how  so 
many  small  mountains,  or  great  hills,  can  be  crowded  into  so  small 
a  space.  As  you  clamber  along  the  sides  of  them,  even  up^n  a  well 
worn  trail,  you  instinctively  lean  toward  the  upper  side,  .with  the 
consciousness  that  from  a  misstep  or  a  fall  there  could  be  no  recov- 
ery before  reaching  the  bottom,  hundreds  of  feet  below.  It  requires 
good  wind,  strong  limbs,  steady  nerves  and  strong  boots  and  cloth- 
ing to  prospect  in  the  mountains,  or  to  follow  the  prospector  into 
the  out  of  the  way  places  which  he  ventures  into  in  the  search  for 
gold. 

In  some  places  the  creeks  have  apparently  cut  through  the  solid 
rock  which  confines  them  to  narrow  channels  having  perpendicular 
walls,  and  into  which  the  sun  only  reaches  the  bottom  for  a  brief 
period  of  each  day.  The  fall  is  so  rapid  that  in  the  rainy  season  tor- 
rents come  down  the  gulches  of  great  depth  and  moving  with  tre- 
mendous force,  displacing  and  carrying  along  great  masses  of  rock, 
or  anything,  indeed,  which  may  come  in  their  way.  The  sudden- 
ness with  which  great  bodies  of  water,  falling  from  a  "cloud-burst," 
sometimes  come  rolling  down  the  creek  beds  and  arroyos  is  start- 
ling, and  it  is  not  infrequent  that  teams  or  horsemen  are  caught  and 
swept  away  in  the  irresistible  current. 

Throughout  the  entire  district  the  vallies  and  mountain  slopes 
are  quite  thickly  covered  with  cedar,  pine,  pinon,  juniper,  mountain 
live  ouk,  wild  cherry,  willow,  birch  and  black  walnut,  all  of  it  except 
the  pine  and  birch  of  stunted  growth.  Several  varieties  of  the  cac- 
tus and  of  the  soap  weed,  as  well  as  the  vicious  Spanish  bayonet,  are 
found  in  abundance,  and  many  of  them  will  be  eventually  utilized 
for  their  fine,  strong  fibres  and  other  properties.  None  of  this  class 
of  plants  are  adapted  for  sitting  upon  and  they  are  always  ready  to 
repel  advances  toward  a  close  acquaintance.  Occasionally  the  mes- 


6 

quit  is  found  and  other  shrubs,  all  having  a  sturdy  growth  in  keeping 
with  the  rugged  surroundings.  On  both  the  north  and  south  Perchas 
saw  mills  have  been  erected  and  considerable  quantities  of  excellent 
lumber  and  shingles  have  been  made  from  the  pines,  which  grow  to 
quite  large  size.  Above  Kingston,  on  the  middle  Percha,  and  in  the 
less  accessible  ravines,  to  which  roads  are  not  easily  constructed, 
there  is  considerable  excellent  timber  yet  undisturbed. 

CLIMATIC    AND    OTHER    ADVANTAGES. 

Though  situated  at  an  altitude  corresponding  with  that  of  Santa  * 
Fe — Kingston  is  a  little  higher,  or  about  7,400  feet — it  is  so  much  . 
farther  south  that  the  temperature  is  even  more  agreeable  than  there. 
While  the  rays  of  the  sun  from  June  to  August  may  be  oppressive  to 
those  directly  exposed  to  them,  the  least  shade  affords  full  protec- 
tion, and  the  nights  are  so  cool  that  one  must  sleep  under  cover 
always.  In  winter  the  thermometer  rarely  ever  makes  a  record  so 
low  as  zero,  and  it  is  only  in  the  deep  gorges  of  the  highest  moun- 
tains, where  the  sun  cannot  penetrate,  that  ice  can  ever  be  obtained. 
There  it  is  only  possible  by  flowing  over  and  freezing  a  thin  layer  at 
a  time.  Upon  the  highest  peaks  of  the  main  range  snow  lies  nearly 
all  the  winter — from  December  to  March — but  never  to  a  considera- 
ble depth.  In  all  the  mountains  of  this  mining  district  it  seldom 
remains  forty-eight  hours  after  it  has  fallen,  and  never  exceeds  a  few 
inches  in  depth.  There  is  not  a  day  (luring  the  year  that  the  miner  is 
prevented  from  working  by  the  severity  of  the  weather,  either  in  heat 
or  cold.  During  ten  months  of  the  year  it  is  almost  continuous 
sunshine,  the  rain  or  snow  falling,  if  at  all,  at  night  and  always  in 
limited  quantities.  The  rainy  season,  from  the  middle  of  June  to 
August,  is  but  a  succession  of  heavier  showers,  falling  sometimes  in 
torrents  but  not  lasting  more  than  an  hour  or  two.  It  is  not  a  disa 
greeable  season  in  any  respect  as  affecting  personal  comfort.  It  is 
warm  and  one  would  be  quite  willing  to  take  a  wetting  except  for  its 
effect  upon  the  clothing.  There  are  no  cold  storms.  It  rains  in 
right  good  earnest  for  an  hour  or  two  and  then  the  sun  shines  out 
brighter  than  before. 

The  Percha  district  is  more  than  usually  fortunate  in  having  a 
permanent  and  abundant  water  supply,  and  generally  distributed. 
It  is  as  pure  as  possible  and  will  be  ample  in  quantity  for  manu- 
facturing purposes  as  well  as  for  domestic  use.  There  is  flowing 


water  in  each  of  the  principal  branches  of  the  Percha  and  in  their 
larger  tributaries  throughout  the  entire  year,  and  springs  abound 
upon  the  mountain  sides  as  well  as  in  the  vallies. 

AS  a  health  resort  this  locality  ought  to  become  exceedingly 
popular.  The  uniformity  of  its  temperature,  the  low  degree  of  hu- 
midity, the  purity  of  air  and  water,  and  the  absence  of  any  malarial 
or  other  injurious  influences,  combined  with  the  attractions  of  the 
picturesque  mountain  scenery,  are  enough  to  induce  a  visitation  from 
those  who  are  unfortunately  invalids. 

There  are  two  tjuite  dphur   springs   near    Kingston  but 

the  writer  is  not  advised  that  any  analysis  has  ever  been  made  to 
determine  their  medicinal  properties. 

KINGSTON,    l  HI     MI  KI   \\  i  il. I.    CBN  1  i  K. 
ry  of  a  few   months  only  which   can  be   recorded  of 
Kingston  at  the  present  writing  ;  but  they  are  months  full  of  incident. 
of  a  remarkable  growth,  of  steady  advancement,  of  pe;  ifort 

on  the  part  of  all  its  people,  of  success  in  its  undertakings.  Within 
them  the  foundations  have  been  laid  broad  and  deep  upon  which  to 
build  a  mining  metropolis  that  shall  st  ny  other  in  the  T 

tor\ . 

It  had  not  been  heard  of  one  •>.  and  it  was  not  until    the 

Lake   Valley  exhibit  r   had    «•  neral    attention    and 

started  a  great  stream  of  emigration  to  Southern  New  Mexico  that 
the  mineral  wealth  which  surrounds  it  begun  to  be  generally  known 
and  the  town  of  Kingston  became  an  established  fact.  It  is  true 
that  many  mining  locations  had  been  made  within  the  district,  and 
that  considerable  work  had  been  done  upon  the  Iron  King — from 
which  the  town  takes  its  name — showing  up  immense  bodies  of  ore. 

The  Bullion  had  upon  its  dump  a  few  tons  of  ore  which  when 
sampled  surprised  even  its  owners  by  its  remarkably  high  grade. 
The  Grey  Eagle,  with  its  cropping*  had  been  located  and 

was  already  involved  in  litigation.  The  value  of  the  Superior  pro- 
perty was  suspected  and  shrewd  operators  were  negotiating  for  its 
purchase;  and  there  was  enough  in  a  general  way  to  attract  the 
overflow  of  miners,  merchants  and  camp  followers  which  Lake 
Valley  could  not  make  room  for. 

About  the  same  time  came  information  that  "float"  had  been 
found  upon  the  Solitaire,  three  miles  from  Kii  >n  the  North 


8 

Percha,  which  was  practically  solid  mineral  (sulphide,  yielding  eighty 
per  cent,  of  fine  silver).  Not  only  was  it  in  little  nuggets,  it  was  in 
masses,  one  of  them  weighing  three  hundred  and  forty  pounds. 
The  property  was  bonded  by  Tabor  &  Wurtzebach  for  $100,000,  and 
a  cash  payment  of  $10,000  was  made  upon  it.  The  large  piece  of 
float  referred  to  was  taken  to  the  Denver  Exposition  where  it  shared 
the  honors  with  the  six  hundred  and  forty  pound  piece  of  chloride 
from  Lake  Valley. 

The  press  of  the  whole  country  became  actively  interested  and 
the  name  and  fame  of  the  camp  was  circulated  far  and  wide.  As  a 
result  of  all  these  influences  people  came  pouring  in  till  not  less,  pro- 
bably, than  three  thousand  had  come  to  view  the  "promised  land." 

Kingston  grew  as  by  magic.  Lots  upon  its  main  street  advanc- 
ed on  the  run  from  nothing  to  a  thousand  dollars  each.  Purchasers 
could  be  found  for  lots  in  the  several  additions  and  the  question  of 
title  was  hardly  considered  for  a  moment.  Lumber  and  building 
materials  could  not  be  gotten  fast  enough ;  mechanics  could  com- 
mand their  own  price.  The  road  from  the  railroad  was  alive  with 
vehicles  of  every  description,  stages,  hacks,  freight  wagons  and  fam- 
ily wagons.  Even  the  patient  burro  plodded  along,  doing  his  share 
to  fill  up  the  country. 

But  there  was  too  much  of  a  good  thing  all  at  once.  Prospec- 
tors found  less  than  a  claim  apiece  for  all  who  came,  and  the  choice 
of  them  taken  long  before  their  arrival.  Miners  and  laborers  were 
too  many  for  the  demand.  Of  merchants  there  was  quite  too  large  a 
proportion. 

The  flurry  of  excitement  was  soon  over.  While  no  one  could 
gainsay  that  the  mines  were  as  good  as  represented,  every  one  could 
appreciate  that  it  would  take  time,  patience,  perseverance  and  capi- 
tal to  develop  them.  The  floating  element  drifted  away ;  business 
settled  into  legitimate  channels.  Those  who  determined  to  stay  cur- 
tailed expenses,  and  adopted  the  methods  of  established  communi- 
ties. The  delay  in  obtaining  materials  was  a  fortunate  hindrance, 
preventing  the  construction  of  too  many  buildings,  so  that  there  are 
few  more  than  the  actual  need. 

A  more  beautiful  town-site  could  hardly  be  selected.  It  occu- 
pies a  plateau  in  a  cove  of  the  mountains,  elevated  a  little  above  the 
Middle  Percha,  the  waters  of  which  course  through  the  town  length- 


wise  and  parallel  with  its  main  street.  It  furnishes  an  abundant  sup- 
ply of  water  for  every  purpose.  The  principal  street  is  eighty  feel 
wide,  extending  through  the  town  as  originally  laid  out,  and  also 
through  the  upper  and  lower  additions.  There  is  a  gradual  descent 
toward  the  east,  and  there  is  quite  sufficient  space  immediately  ad- 
jacent for  a  population  of  twenty  thousand. 

The  first  survey  on  the  townsite  was  comment  ed  August  21  si  by 
Parker  £  Taylor,  and  was  of  the  Home  Ticket  mining  claim,  owned 
by  A.  Barnaby.     Next  was  the  Lula  claim,  belonging  to  Eraser  \ 
Holt,  and  then  the  Grand  View  mill-site,  below  U'ater  street,  owned 
by  Pressly  Johnson.     The  Copper  Queen  claim,  adjoining  the  Home 
Ticket,  was  also  platted,  and  later  the  Hornet,  across  the  creek, 
put  on  the  market  by  Barnaby  and  Webster,  and  a  number  of  rcsi 
dence  lots  were  sold  from  it. 

Meantime  the  Iron  King  mill-site,  above  the  to\\n   iraa  pun 
ed  by  Messrs.  Boss,  Ritchie  and  others  and  a  company  was  or 
i/ed.      The  site  was  surveyed   and   platted   and  some  sales  made,  but 
there  has  been  as  yet  but  little  building  upon   it.     A*  a  resident  e 
locality  it  cannot    be  excelled;  it  offers   some  ot    the-    prettiest    build- 
ing sites  to  be  found  anywhere. 

The  Kingston  Town  Company  was  organi/etl  October  i.st,  i.XSj. 
by  T.  F.  Chapman,  Jame-  A.  I  .< "  kh.irt  Robert  Hopper.  Col.  J.  C. 
Logan.  Frank  Adams.  C.  H.  Phelps.  Thomas  Kelly.  Ellis  Miller, 
H.  (i.  Clark  and  J.  C.  Roberts.  The  properly  purchased  constitute- 
the  eastern  portion  of  the  town  and  includes  the  Calveston.  Old 
Iowa,  Eureka,  Mexican  Central,  Kentin  k\  UK  <•.  and  other 

mill-site  locations.  To  put  the  property  in  form,  fractious  were  pur- 
chased from  surrounding  mining  claims,  the  whole  making  about 
five  hundred  lots,  25  by  100  feet  being  the  standard  si/.e.  The  first 
officers  of  the  company  were  T.  F.  Chapman,  president  ;  (i.  \V.  Hart- 
mann,  secretary;  J.  A.  Lockhart,  treasurer,  and  Me-M-  Chapman, 
Lockhart,  Miller,  Roberts  and  Hopper,  directors.  About  one  him 
dred  lots  have  been  sold.  Several  proprietary  interests  have  (hang 
ed  hands  so  that  the  present  owners  are  Messrs.  Chapman,  Lockhart, 
Hopper,  Maxwell  and  Clark,  and  W.  W.  Maxwell  is  the  present  sec- 
retary. Extensive  improvements  are  in  progress  :  the  streets  are 
being  cleared  and  fencing  the  blocks  is  being  done  under  contnu  t. 
The  location  is  a  very  desirable  one  and  covers  the  water  privil. 


10 

and  sites  where  the  mills,  smelters  and  other  manufactories  of  the 
district  will  necessarily  be  located — some  of  them  in  the  near  future. 
Its  surface  is  enough  diversified  to  insure  good  drainage  and  furnishes 
desirable  business  and  residence  locations. 

At  the  present  time  nearly  all  of  the  business  is  located  upon 
the  main  street  and  nearly  all  of  the  mercantile  and  mechanical  in- 
dustries are  well  represented.  The  Percha  Bank  was  established 
several  months  since,  and  the  TRIBUNE  newspaper  and  job  office,  in 
which  this  pamphlet  is  printed  and  bound,  has  been  well  supported 
since  the  first  of  the  year. 

Its  society  is  characteristic  of  the  frontier,  but  contains  a  greater 
number  of  refined  and  educated  people  than  one  would  expect  to 
find  so  far  from  the  comforts  and  conveniences  to  which  they  have 
been  accustomed  in  eastern  homes.  The  love  of  adventure  or  the 
desire  for  gain  has  brought  the  head  of  the  family,  and  the  wife  and 
children  come  that  they  may  be  near  and  share  with  him  the  priva- 
tions and  toil  which  fall  to  his  lot.  As  rapidly  as  possible  they 
gather  about  them  the  luxuries  as  well  as  the  necessities  of  life  ;  they 
improve  and  beautify  their  homes,  and  when  they  have  struck  it  rich 
live  as  opulently  as  the  most  prosperous  capitalists  of  the  older- 
states.  The  rough  board  house  is  often  furnished  in  far  better  style 
than  its  exterior  betokens,  and  probably  there  is  as  much  real  enjoy- 
ment and  family  contentment  amid  such  surroundings  as  in  the 
brown  stone  or  marble  palaces  of  the  great  cities. 

Pr  vate  schools  have  been  well  supported  almost  from  the  first, 
although  the  number  of  children  is  proportionately  much  smaller  than 
in  an  agricultural  district.  Steps  have  been  taken  to  secure  the  or- 
ganization of  a  school  district,  and  until  such  time  as  the  public 
funds  are  available  good  schools  will  be  sustained  by  personal  sub- 
scription. 

As  to  churches,  this  has  not  seemed  to  be  a  specially  inviting 
field  for  missionaries.  No  church  buildings  have  been  erected,  nor 
have  any  societies  been  organized. 

Good  public  order  has  always  been  maintained.  Life  and  pro- 
perty is  more  secure  than  in  many  older  communities,  and  though 
there  is  no  local  government  except  as  represented  in  a  justice  of  the 
peace  and  a  deputy  sheriff  there  are  but  few  infractions  of  the  law, 
and  those  of  a  trivial  character.  There  is  as  much  business  honor 


11 

and  as  few  bad  debts  as  will  be  found  anywhere.  Although  it  is  by 
no  means  unpopular  to  take  a  drink  of  beer  or  whiskey,  and  temper- 
ance societies  would  not  secnre  a  large  membership  in  the  camp, 
there  is  but  little  drinking  to  excess,  and  no  more  drunkenness  on 
the  streets  than  is  usual  elsewhere. 

H  \  crnr, 

The  finding  of  the  rich  float  on  the  Solitaire  and  the  general 
prospects  of  the  North  Percha  neighborhood,  was  the  occasion,  in 
the  latter  part  uf  Aumi^t.  of  locating  a  trading  point  there,  and  it  was 
followed  by  the  laying  off  of  a  townsite.  The  location  is  well  chosen 
at  a  point  where  the  valley  of  Carbonate  creek — furnishing  the  town 

•  undant  supply  of  water — widens,  giving  ample  room  for  a  large 
population.  J.  W.  McCuistion  was  the  first  merchant,  coming  from 
Chloride.  No  road  had  yet  been  built  nor  trade  of  any  kind  estab- 
lished, though  the  surrounding  count:  ill  of  prospectors  to 
the  number  of  several  hundred.  He  packed  his  stock  in  trade  over 
the  mountains.  It  consisted  of  three  hundred  cigars,  five  gallons  of 
whU-  .ttles  of  champagne,  eighteen  bottles  of  beer,  and  $8.75 

ish  for  a  working  capital.  His  success  is  evidenced  by  a  large 
log  store-room,  which  cost  him  $300,  and  a  stock  of  goods  in  house 
and  cellar  which  has  cost  him  $3,000.  He  has  also  secured  mines 
and  ii  n  mines  which  promise  a  yet  larger  return. 

The  town^it  ated  August  28th,  by  John  Bachus  and  — 

Me  Donald.  The  construction  of  the  wagon  road  to  a  connection 
with  the  Hillsboro  and  Kingv  LI  commenced  September 

5th  and  the  first  wagon  came  into  camp  on  the  i2th.  The  town  was 
surveyed  on  the  i5th  and  w  i^  platted  on  a  box  cover.  Of  three 
hundred  lots,  each  25  by  140  feet,  one  hundred  and  twenty  have 
been  sold  for  from  fifteen  to  forty  dollars  each.  For  a  time  business 
was  lively,  but  there  was  a  serious  disadvantage  in  having  no  stage 
line.  The  population  reached  at  one  time  as  many  as  five  hundred. 
\  D.  Osborne  was  the  second  merchant,  also  coming  from 
Chloride,  opening  the  Ore  saloon  and  dealing  principally  in  wet  gro- 
(  cries.  John  Graden  came  from  El  Paso  and  started  a  restaurant. 
J.  T.  Nickerson  came  with  a  restaurant  and  boarding  house.  Ballou 
&  Cook  opened  another  saloon,  now  closed.  Mike  Mason  started 
in  the  same  business,  also  gone.  Mr.  Carmichael  opened  a  small 
store ;  he  has  also  departed.  Later  J.  C.  Roberts  opened  a  meat 


12 

market  and  then  William  Bratten  came  in  with  a  livery  stable  and 
Samuel  Nelson  is  the  camp  shoemaker.  A  postoffice  was  established 
several  months  since  with  J.  W.  McCuistion  as  postmaster. 

During  the  fall  a  saw  mill  was  erected  just  above  the  town  by 
W.  E.  Pratt  &  Co.,  with  T.  E.  Harrington  in  charge.  It  is  a  well 
appointed  mill  and  they  have  already  manufactured  a  large  quantity 
of  lumber  and  shingles  and  have  kept  in  operation  all  winter.  It 
has  supplied  a  large  share  of  the  demand  for  building  and  mine  him  - 
ber  at  Kingston  and  in  the  district  generally  since  it  went  into  oper- 
ation. 

There  are  many  good  prospects  on  every  side  of  the  town  and 
as  the  mines  become  developed  and  are  put  in  full  operation  it  must 
become  a  point  of  considerable  importance. 

THE  PERCHA  MINING  DISTRICT. 

The  mining  interest  of  the  district  is  the  paramount  one  to  all 
others;  it  is  the  foundation  upon  which  all  other  industries  must 
rest.  It  is,  of  course,  in  its  infancy  and  its  full  development  will  re- 
quire time  and  a  large  expenditure  of  capital.  The  resources  of  the 
camp  are  but  comparatively  little  known,  a  shaft  one  hundred  feet 
deep  being  the  rare  exception,  while  there  is  not  one  in  the  district 
two  hundred  feet  deep  at  the  present  writing — March  20th. 

An  article  written  a  few  weeks  since  for  the  San  Francisco 
EXAMINER  by  Mr.  W.  F.  Hogan  contains  a  very  careful  description 
of  the  general  features  of  the  camp  and  of  its  geological  formations, 
from  which  the  liberty  is  taken  to  make  some  extracts. 

"The  formation  consists  chiefly  of  a  dolomitic  limestone,  occur- 
ring in  regular  strata,  dipping  slightly  to  the  south  of  east  and  hav- 
ing a  general  northerly  and  southerly  strike.  This  limestone  is  cut 
through  in  many  places  by  dykes  of  intrusive  porphyry  and  cross 
courses  of  quartz.  The  porphyry  has  a  general  course  nearly  paral- 
lel with  the  limestone,  while  the  quartz  ledges  run  in  a  general 
northeasterly  and  southwesterly  direction,  cutting  through  both  the 
porphyry  and  limestone  in  their  course.  These  porphyry  dykes  and 
quartz  ledges  sometimes  assume  large  proportions  so  far  as  width 
goes,  and  in  the  case  of  the  former  not  only  are  they  exceptional  in 
width  but  in  length  also,  one  in  particular — apparently  the  chief  one 


13 

in  the  district — being  plainly  traceable  for  miles.  In  some  places 
the  porphyry  fails  to  intrude  itself  clear  through  the  limestone  to  the 
surface,  but  after  rising  to  a  certain  plane,  has  spread  out  and  is  now 
found  in  the  condition  of  an  interstratification  in  the  sedimentary 
rocks.  This  is  accounted  for  on  the  hypothesis  that  only  at  the 
weaker  places  of  the  original  formation,  was  the  intrusive  force  suf- 
ficient to  cause  the  limestone  to  break  and  allow  the  molten  lava 
access  to  .the  top.  Hence  it  is  that  at  points  along  their  course  the 
porphyry  dykes  are  apparently  lost,  and  also  that  the  lime  sometimes 
appears  overlying  the  porphyry,  as  shown  by  development  shafts  and 
erosion  in  the  adjacent  gulches.  Argyllaceous  limestone  is  also 
found  in  portions  of  the  district,  and  always  overlying  the  dolomite. 
It  does  not,  however,  appear  to  have  exercised  any  influence  in  the 
deposition  of  the  contents  of  the  mineral  waters  in  their  How,  al- 
though ore  is  sometimes  found  between  it  and  the  underlying  strata. 
It  is  to  the  presence  of  these  dykes,  and  the  numerous  Quits,  slides 
and  fractures  in  the  limestone,  caused  by  them,  that  the  Percha  dis- 
trict owes  its  mineral  wealth.  The  quartz  ledges  which  mark  the 
surface  of  the  country  are  also  noted  for  their  metalliferous  value. 
They  present  no  special  features  deserving  of  mention.  Their  ori- 
gin, together  with  the  deposition  of  thw  metallic  compounds  held  by 
them,  being  undoubtedly  contemporaneous  with  the  formation  of  the 
ore  belts  and  veins  of  the  porphyritic  ami  limestone  rocks.  Nat- 
urally in  such  a  formation  the  experienced  prospector  looks  for 
more  than  one  distinct  type  of  mines.  In  this  respect  the  Percha 
country  is  remarkable,  not  only  in  presenting  several  well  defined 
species,  but  also  in  showing  the  characteristics  of  each  kind  to  a 
marked  degree..  Thus  it  is  that  there  are  contact-fissures,  limestone 
deposits,  quartz  leads  and  fissures  in  trachyte.  The  first  are  those 
whose  main  ore  bodies  are  or  will  be  found  at  the  point. of  juncture 
between  either  edge  of  the  dykes  and  the  limestone  through  which 
they  cut.  The  second  are  those  in  which  the  ore  is  found  interbed- 
ed  with  and  lying  conformably  to  the  general  plane  of  the  lime 
stratification.  In  both  these  classes  of  mines,  and  notably  in  the 
first  mentioned,  the  ore  is  found  frequently  branching  off  from  the 
main  shoots  and  forming  pockets  irregularly  distributed  throughout 
the  limestone,  but  occurring  principally  along  the  joint  planes  of  the 
fractures  and  faults  with  which  the  latter  rock  abounds.  Where  two 


14 

or  more  of  these  fractures  meet  there  is  usually  quite  a  large  pocket 
of  mineral — sometimes  of  high  grade  and  sometimes  low.  The 
quartz  veins  are  of  a  more  uniform  character,  apparently,  as  regards 
the  occurrence  of  the  ore  contained  by  them.  They  are  very  prom- 
inent factors  in  the  geological  structure  of  the  Percha  district,  as  at- 
tested by  the  prominence  and  frequency  of  their  outcroppings. 
They  present  no  such  interesting  and  complex  features  as  do  the 
others  mentioned,  the  ore  being  a  base  mass  of  quartz  mineralized  to 
a  greater  or  less  degree,  according  as  it  is  taken  from  an  ore  shoot, 
or  distant  from  one.  There  is  more  or  less  mineral,  however,  to  be 
found  throughout  nearly  all  of  the  quartz  ledges,  as  numerous  assay 
tests  have  proven.  The  fissure  veins  in  the  trachyte  are  yet  an  ele- 
ment of  undetermined  importance  as  regards  the  part  they  are  to 
take  in  the  future  of  the  district.  One  of  them  thus  far  opened  to  a 
limited  extent  has  proven  to  be  of  extraordinary  good  promise. 
The  veins  at  Bodie,  California,  and  other  noted  mining  sections,  are 
in  trachyte,  which  is  evidence  sufficient  to  warrant  a  belief  highly 
favorable  to  the  discovery  of  many  good  mines  in  that  formation  as 
it  exists  here.  It  is  a  field  in  which  little  has  been  done  and  one  that 
offers  great  inducements  to  the  prospector.  The  best  established 
and  most  accepted  theory  of  the  manner  in  which  mineral  has  been 
deposited  in  the  rocks,  would  account  for  its  presence  in  the  quartz, 
contact-fissures  and  the  limestone,  by  its  having  been  brought  there 
through  the  flowing  of  the  siliceous  waters.  These  had  their  origin 
undoubtedly  in  the  trachyte  itself,  hence  it  would  be  unreasonable  to 
suppose  the  fissures  naturally  occurring  in  that  rock  to  be  destitute 
of  metallic  values.  The  fact  that  where  found  they  carry  metallifer- 
ous quartz  as  a  vein-filling,  is  proof  not  only  of  the  origin  of  the  ore 
deposits  of  the  Percha  district  but  also  of  the  statement  that  much 
may  be  looked  for  from  the  trachyte  fissures  in  the  future. 

"The  metallic  compounds  produced  by  the  mines  of  this  district 
are  varied,  as  is  usual  with  all  mineral  sections.  The  predominating 
form  in  which  silver  is  found  is  a  sulphide,  or  silver  glance.  This  is 
commonly  called,  by  the  miners  and  prospectors,  "black  metal,"  ->r 
"malleable  silver."  Chloride  of  silver  and  bromide  is  found,  with 
also  some  ruby  and  silver  in  a  pure  state,  or  native.  Argentiferous 
galena,  carbonate  of  lead  carrying  silver,  together  with  pyritiferous 
copper  and  copper  carbonates  are  found  in  some  of  the  mines.  An- 


15 

timony  and  zinc  blende,  or  "black  jack,"  and  iron  pyrites  are  also 
found  in  the  ores.  Brown  iron  oxide  and  oxide  of  manganese  pre- 
vail in  many  of  the  veins,  the  latter  being  particularly  plentiful  and 
forming  the  outcropping,  or  mineral  blossom  of  a  very  large  propor- 
tion of  the  mines.  The  gangue  of  the  veins  is  usually  quartz,  with 
heavy  spar,  calcite  and  talc,  intermixed  often  with  felsite.  Some 
veins  show  these  minerals  in  different  combinations,  one  predomin- 
ating over  the  others,  as  a  general  thing.  This  latter  circumstance 
varies  with  the  character  of  the  mine." 

From  the  foregoing  description  of  the  character  of  the  mines 
about  Kingston,  the  miner  and  prospector  can  glean  many  things 
that  will  enable  him  to  form  an  opinion  as  to  the  merits  of  the  Per- 
cha  district.  It  is  an  admitted  proposition  among  mining  men  that 
a  country  whose  formation  is  cut  up  by  dykes  and  cross  ledges,  and 
greatly  faulted  thereby,  is  one,  which  if  possessed  of  mineral  wealth 
at  all,  is  of  a  very  superior  kind.  This  being  so — and  experience 
has  proven  it — the  outlook  for  the  mines  and  the  district  of  Percha, 
is  one  of  the  brightest  to  be  found  throughout  the  whole  of  the 
Rocky  mountain  region.  The  mines  thus  far  have  done  splendidly, 
and  give  abundant  grounds  for  unlimited  confidence  in  their  future, 
while  the  prospects  here  are  invariably  of  the  most  promising  kind. 
Capital  is  needed  to  stimulate  the  task  of  development  upon  the 
properties  of  men  too  poor  to  push  to  a  successful  issue,  the  work  of 
prospecting  the  veins.  Once  it  comes  Kingston  will  acheive  a  no- 
toriety that  will  be  as  substantial  as  it  will  be  brilliant.  Splendid 
opportunities  are  offered  those  who  come  with  a  desire  to  invest. 
Instances  are  frequent  where  prospectors  are  willing  to  give  from 
one-quarter  to  'one-half  of  their  claim  to  have  it  developed  to  a  pay- 
ing basis,  while  whole  claims,  eligibly  situated,  and  presenting  indi- 
cations of  a  positive  character  for  the  discovery  of  good  ore  can  be 
purchased  outright  on  the  most  moderate  terms.  No  place  offers 
superior  inducements  of  this  kind,  and  certainly  none  can  better 
substantiate  its  claims  to  to  intrinsic  merit  than  can  the  Percha  dis- 
trict. The  mineral  is  here  in  large  quantities  and  of  high  grade  and 
work  alone  is  needed  to  reveal  it  and  make  wealthy  the  owners  of 
the  mines.  What  has  been  done  thus  far  is  but  an  earnest  of  what 
ran  and  will  be  done  in  the  future.'  The  attention  of  all  is  called 
to  these  things  with  a  confidence  in  the  belief  that  they  are  just  as 


16 

represented,  and  from  an  actual  knowledge  of  the  facts,  circumstan- 
ces and  needs  surrounding  the  district. 

As  it  is  the  express  purpose  of  this  pamphlet  to  direct  the  eye 
of  those  interested  towards  the  mines,  the  following  pages  will  be 
devoted  to  brief  descriptions  of  the  leading  mines  and  prospects  lo- 
cated in  the  different  camps  adjacent  and  tributary  to  the  town  of 
Kingston,  commencing  with  the 

MIDDLE    PERCHA. 

The  mines  of  this  portion  of  the  district  were  the  first  to  attract  the 
attention  of  outsiders  in  this  direction.  The  first  were  located  in 
1880.  Despite  the  early  date  of  their  location  nothing  more  than 
mere  prospecting  work  has  been  done,  although  in  some  instances 
that  character  of  work  alone  not  only  has  demonstrated  the  actual 
merits  of  the  properties,  but  has  also  resulted  in  bringing  large  re- 
turns to  the  owners  over  and  above  the  money  spent  in  that  direc- 
tion. 

The  prominent  mine  is  the  Bullion,  which  by  reason  of  the  bulk 
and  richness  of  its  ore  has  made  for  itself  a  name  that  is  famous 
throughout  New  Mexico.  This  mine  was  located  in  August,  1881, 
by  Geo.  W.  Hunsaker  and  Arthur  Phelps,  who  after  its  discovery  ex- 
cavated several  surface  openings  and  One  shaft  of  about  fifteen  feet 
in  depth.  One  of  the  openings  on  the  surface  was  at  a  point  where 
there  was  a  large  out-cropping  of  black  oxide  of  iron  and  mangan- 
ese, and  this  when  cut  into  a  very  few  feet  disclosed  ore  that  gave 
very  high  returns  by  assay.  One  of  the  owners,  fearful  that  it  would  . 
pinch  out  declined  to  work  it  further  and  prevailed  upon  his  part- 
ner to  offer  it  for  sale,  which  was  done,  and  in  a  short  time  it  passed 
into  the  possesion  of  the  company  now  owning  it.  This  company  is 
composed  mostly  of  gentlemen  who  are  conversant  with  the  details 
of  practical  mining  and  who  since  taking  possession  of  the  property 
have  developed  and  extracted  the  ore  which  has  yielded  them  such 
handsome  returns  upon  their  original  investment.  The  price  paid 
the  owners  was  $3,500.  The  amount  of  ore  extracted  to  date  figures 
up  to  the  splendid  sum  of  $80000..  When  it  is  considered  that  the 
total  number  of  linear  feet  of  work  done  will  not  exceed  500,  and 
that  of  that  number  over  150  feet  are  dead  work,  consisting  of  a  cross 
drift  entirely  out  of  ore,  but  run  for  the  better  development  of  the 
mine,  it  will  be  understood  that  the  Bullion  is  entitled  to  the  great 


17 

reputation  it  possesses.  In  other  words  there  has  been  over  Si 60 
extracted  for  every  foot  of  ground,  straight  measurement,  excavated 
in  the  mine.  Such  a  showing  would  be  considered  immense  in  any 
country,  and  it  certainly  speaks  volumes  in  favor  of  the  character 
and  richness  of  the  mines  of  this  section.  The  Bullion  is  of  the 
contact-fissure  class  of  veins,  and  this,  in  connection  with  the  cir- 
cumstance that  the  ore  produced  thus  far  has  come  out  of  the  lime- 
stone east  of  the  vein  proper,  argues  much  in  favor  of  the  future  ex- 
cellence of  this  splendid  property.  When  the  contact  is  reached  and 
that  portion  of  the  mine  developed,  there  is  every  reason  to  look  for 
a.  much  greater  showing  than  has  ever  yet  been  disclosed.  The  ore 
of  the  Bullion  is  of  exceptionally  high  grade,  averaging  upwards  of 
$500  per  ton.  It  is  not  unusual  to  take  out  pieces  weighing  from 
fifty  to  three  hundred  pounds  that  will  average  at  the  rate  of  Si  ooo 
to  $5,000  per  ton.  A  pocket  of  ore  recently  struck  in  the  mine, 
consisted  of  a  mass  of  nearly  pure  sulphide  of  silver,  average  speci- 
mens of  which  returned  by  assay  a  value  of  over  $18,000  per  ton. 
Several  hundred  pounds  of  this  rich  stuff  were  taken  out.  The  ore 
is  found  in  a  gangue  of  lime  spar,  talc  and  occasionally  some  quart/ 
or  other  siliceous  matter.  The  mine  is  supplied  upon  the  surface 
with  an  office  building,  boarding  and  sleeping  houses,  blacksmith 
shop,  ore  house,  etc.  An  excellent  wagon  road  leads  from  the  mine 
down  to  and  connecting  with  the  road  leading  into  Kingston,  just 
below  town.  Mr.  T.  F.  Chapman,  the  superintendent,  is  a  very  able 
and  accommodating  manager,  and  one  who  takes  pleasure  in  show- 
ing the  product  of  the  mine  and  explaining  its  features  to  parties  in- 
terested. He  took  hold  of  the  property  when  it  was  a  prospect,  and 
by  his  faith  and  .energy  has  developed  a  bonanza.  Several  offers  of 
high  prices  have  been  made  for  the  mine  and  all  refused.  While  it 
is  not  improbable  that  the  owners  would  sell  if  they  were  to  be  offer- 
ed their  own  figures,  they  are  in  no  hurry  and  it  is  safe  to  assert  that 
the  mine  is  not  begging  a  purchaser.  The  ore  sh-pments  from  the 
mine  have  all  been  made  to  the  Argo  works,  near  Denver,  Colorado. 
Next  to  the  Bullion,  and  joining  it  upon  the  north,  is  the  Super- 
ior, a  property  already  known  far  and  near  as  one  which  not  only 
has  great  intrinsic  merit  but  which  also  promises  to  do  much  in 
the  way  of  ore  shipments  during  the  year  1883.  It  is  situated  up- 
on the  same  vein  as  the  Bullion  and  presents  throughout  the  sam 


i8 

general  characteristics  of  ore  and  ore  deposits.  Considerable  work 
has  been  done  upon  the  Superior,  more  in  fact  than  upon  any  other 
mine  in  the  camp,  except  the  Iron  King,  and  certainly  the  resultant 
effects  are  such  as  are  calculated  to  inspire  feelings  of  the  utmost 
confidence  in  it  upon  the  part  of  those  owning  the  mine  as  well  as 
convincing  owners  of  property  similarly  situated,  of  the  future  value 
of  their  claims.  The  Superior  mine  was  located  in  the  summer  of 
1 88 1,  by  Frazer  &  Deemer,  a  couple  of  prospectors  from  Georgetown, 
New  Mexico.  Ore  was  found  in  several  places  upon  the  surface  of 
the  claim  and  several  small  openings  were  made  at  those  points. 
The  assays  obtained  were  very  encouraging,  running  from  a  few 
ounces  into  the  hundreds.  In  the  fall  of  1882,  and  soon  after  the 
development  of  the  ore  body  in  the  Bullion,  the  Superior  was  pur- 
chased by  a  company  of  California  capitalists,  among  whom  were 
Hearst  &  Head,  Col.  Logan,  ex-Governor  Perkins  and  others,  to- 
gether with  Capt.  Thos.  Burns,  who  was  one  of  the  original  purcha- 
sers of  the  Bullion.  Capt.  Burns  took  immediate  charge  of  the 
property  and  at  once  commenced  active  development.  A  shaft  was 
sunk  in  the  limestone  to  a  depth  of  ninety  feet,  and  at  that  point  a 
drift  was  started  to  the  west  towards  the  edge  of  the  porphyry. 
Three  ore  bodies  were  cut  in  this  drift  before  reaching  the  contact. 
This  where  struck  was  found  devoid  of  anything  of  value  save  what 
was  found  as  gangue  matter,  indicating  clearly  the  presence  of  the 
vein.  Sinking  was  commenced,  and  it  was  but  a  short  distance  un- 
til a  large  body  of  low  grade  ore  was  discovered.  Down  through 
this  the  work  was  pushed  until  at  a  depth  of  seventy  feet,  a  body  of 
splendid  ore  was  encountered,  rich  in  both  gold  and  silver.  This 
was  the  great  strike  that  agitated  the  whole  of  the  Percha  district 
and  set  at  rest  all  doubts  and  fears  that  may  heretofore  been  enter- 
tained regarding  the  future  of  the  camp,  Several  tons  of  the  new 
ore  were  broken  and  average  tests  of  its  value  show  it  to  be  worth 
Si  200  per  ton.  The  extent  of  this  ore  body  has  not  yet  been  de- 
termined but  enough  has  been  done  to  show  that  it  is  of  large  pro- 
portions. Now  that  this  much  has  been  accomplished,  more  may 
lx>  looked  for  in  the  lower  workings  of  the  mine.  Aside  from  the 
development  just  described,  there  has  been,  as  indicated  in  the  fore- 
going, a  considerable  amount  of  work  done  elsewhere  on  the  Superi- 
or. Most  of  this  has  been  confined  to  places  where  there  were  in- 


19 

dications  of  ore  out  in  the  limestone  and  distant  from  the  porphyry, 
while  at  one  or  more  places  the  vein  has  been  opened  along  its  ex- 
tent. None  of  these  but  what  show  the  presence  of  ore  in  greater 
or  less  quantity  and  of  varying  quality  from  high  to  low  grade. 
In  what  is  known  as  number  seven  working,  a  nice  seam  of  good 
ore  is  showing,  of  good  quality.  In  number  four  the  vein  has 
been  sunk  upon  for  seventy  feet  showing  ore  and  vein  matter 
the  whole  distance  for  a  width  of  from  two  to  five  feet.  Since  the 
making  of  the  rich  strike  work  has  been  directed  towards  the  exca- 
vation of  an  incline  shaft  from  the  surface  downward,  in  order  that 
the  task  of  proper  development  may  be  facilitated  in  the  future. 
An  improved  California  whim  is  in  use  at  the  incline.  There  are 
other  surface  improvements  connected  with  the  mine  consisting  of 
an  office  building,  residence,  blacksmith  shop  and  stable.  R.  B. 
Taylor,  a  gentleman  of  ripe  mining  experience  is  the  superintendent 
of  the  Superior.  The  mine  is  being  developed  by  him  in  a  system- 
atic manner,  and  should  the  future  warrant  it  there  is  little  doubt  but 
that  the  company  will  erect  works  adapted  to  the  treatment  of  their 
own  ores.  The  extent  of  the  vein  on  the  Superior  is  such  that  once 
it  is  opened  up  a  lengthened  period  of  prosperity  is  in  store  for 
the  mine.  The  developments  on  the  Superior  have  proven  one 
thing  that  is  of  inestimable  benefit  to  claim  owners  in  the  Percha 
district.  This  is  that  it  matters  but  little  whether  the  surface  material 
assays  high  or  not.  The  bodies  of  rich  ore  lie  comparatively  deep 
and  those  having  the  nerve  and  means  to  go  down  on  their  veins 
will  almost  undoubtedly  get  good  ore  if  the  surface  and  other  indica- 
tions are  right  to  commence  with.  Practical  experience  has  demon- 
strated that  in  all  camps  where  silver  is  found  as  a  sulphide  that  the 
ore  is  JY*;  as  liable  to  be  of  very  low  grade  on  the  top  as  it  is  to  be 
the  reverse.  Once  the  proper  depth  is  gained — and  this  varies  in 
different  localities — the  ore  will  be  found,  if  it  exists  in  bulk  at  all, 
to  be  of  a  high  grade  character.  And  this  is  one  of  the  reasons,  too, 
which  induces  those  of  experience  to  put  such  great  faith  in  the 
district. 

The  Caledonia  lays  near  the  Superior  and  is  owned  by  George 
Hartman  and  Marshal  Dansby.  It  was  located  in  February,  1882. 
Aside  from  some  surface  digging  to  find  the  lead  the  chief  work  has 
deen  done  at  two  places  of  twelve  or  fifteen  feet  each.  The  crop- 


20 

pings  are  oxide  of  iron  and  manganese,  all  of  it  carrying  some  min- 
eral as  shown  by  the  assays,  and  showing  more  and  better  as  depth 
is  attained.  It  is  in  quite  large  quantities  but  the  vein  has  not  yet 
been  found  in  place.  A  small  seam  of  ore  at  the  bottom  of  one  of 
the  openings  has  assayed  up  as  high  as  $300  in  silver  per  ton. 

The  Comstock  lying  west  and  alongside  the  Caledonia  is  on  the 
opposite  or  west  side  of  the  hill.  It  is  opened  in  a  contact  betwen 
porphyry  and  lime,  at  least  seven  feet  in  width,  dipping  into  the 
hill.  Where  opened  the  crevice  is  filled  with  iron  and  manganese. 
From  a  seam  next  the  porphyry  wall  at  a  depth  of  sixteen  feet  ore 
was  taken  which  gave  an  assay  value  of  $625.40,  and  assays  from  the 
croppings  have  returned  from  five  to  forty-one  ounces.  The  vein  is 
the  same  which  shows  in  the  Black  Colt  and  crops  out  its  full  width 
on  the  surface  over  one  hundred  feet  from  the  shaft  where  it  is  now 
opened.  The  Comstock  is  owned  by  James  Dawson  Joshua  Roberts 
and  others  and  was  located  March  30,  1880.  It  gives  excellent 
premise  of  developing  into  a  mine. 

The  Lady  Franklin  belongs  to  Dan  Dugan  and  John  Donohoe.  It 
was  located  in  1881.  It  lies  west  of  the  Superior  and  south  of  the 
Caledonia.  The  vein  pitches  at  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees,  or  a 
little  more  than  the  slope  of  the  hillside.  Its  pitch  corresponds  with 
that  of  the  Comstock  on  the  other  side  of  the  hill,  and  is  in  a  con- 
trary direction  to  that  of  the  Caledonia.  The  vein  matter  corres- 
ponds with  that  in  adjoining  claims,  with  a  mixture  of  talc  and  fel- 
site.  It  has  given  good  assays  all  the  way  down,  being  now  at  a 
depth  of  about  thirty  feet. 

The  Mountain  Chief  is  owned  by  Ed.  Doheny,  Thomas  Grady, 
Tim  Corcoran  and  James  Delaney.  It  was  located  in  November, 
1880.  It  is  located  diagonally  across  a  ridge  of  porphyrymad  lime- 
stone. On  top  of  the  hill  a  shaft  has  been  sunk  on  the  contact, 
nearly  vertical,  in  a  mass  of  disintegrated  iron-stained  porphyry. 
There  is  a  wide  belt  on  the  surface  covered  by  iron  boulders,  appar- 
ently float,  but  the  source  has  not  yet  been  discovered.  Down  in 
the  gulch  an  iron  capping  covers  a  vein  of  quartz  and  spar,  with  iron 
and  copper  pyrites.  The  vein  is  well  defined,  nearly  vertical,  with 
lime  walls.  The  ore  that  has  been  taken  out  assays  well,  some  of  it 
averaging  fifty  dollars.  The  vein  is  only  opened  to  a  depth  of  twelve 
feet. 


21 

The  Polar  Star  is  the  north  extension  of  the  Superior  mine  and 
covers  a  tract  of  ground  that  shows  abundant  surface  indications  of 
mineral.  It  has  been  worked  upon  at  several  places,  the  principal 
openings  being  close  to  the  south  end  line  and  near  to  the  Superior 
ground.  Two  shafts  sunk  there  have  produced  very  good  ore,  the 
average  in  ton  lots  running  upwards  of  $200,  and  picked  specimens 
going  very  much  higher.  The  ore  so  far  taken  out  came  from  the 
limestone  and  is  of  a  quartzose  character.  It  shows  native  silver 
and  chloride  throughout.  At  another  portion  of  the  claim  an  open- 
ing has  been  made  upon  a  surface  showing  or  outcropping  of  iron 
and  manganese,  carrying  silver.  The  Polar  Star  is  regarded  as  one 
of  the  leading  claims  of  this  district  and  rightly  so.  It  is  owned  by 
Col.  Logan  and  Geo.  Hunsaker,  the  latter  in  connection  with  Arthur 
Phelps,  being  the  locator  of  the  property.  A  shipment  of  about  two 
tons  of  first-class  ore  has  been  made. 

The  Silver  Queen,  located  in  April,  1882,  by  Burke  and  Skipp,  is 
along  the  course  of  an  immense  contact-fissure  vein  between  lime- 
stone and  porphyry.  It  is  opened  in  several  places  on  the  vein  and 
everywhere  shows  indications  of  great  strength  and  permanance. 
The  center  workings,  which  are  the  most  prominent,  are  confined  to 
the  middle  of  the  width  of  the  vein  and  are  all  in  vein  matter,  top, 
sides  and  bottom.  The  vein  at  this  point  has  a  width  of  eighty  feet 
by  actual  measurement,  and  wherever  stripped  or  penetrated  shows 
the  same  character  of  filling.  These  center  workings  consist  of  an 
adit  level,  run  in  thirty  feet,  to  a  point  where  it  branches  off,  the 
main  branch  continuing  on  for  a  distance  of  forty  feet  further.  The 
second  branch  goes  beyond  the  parting  place  only  a  few  feet,  and  at 
the  face  a  shaft  is  down  to  about  twenty  feet.  Every  foot  of  these 
workings  is  in  vein  matter  all  more  or  less  mineralized,  and  carrying 
pieces  of  ore  from  which  high  assays  have  been  obtained.  This  vein 
stuff  consists  principally  of  decomposed  iron  stained  porphyry,  brown 
iron  and  manganese.  Assays  have  been  obtained  from  the  material 
described,  running  $4.00,  $12.00,  $104  and  $117  respectively.  A 
general  sample  of  the  disintegrated  vein  matter  returned  $12.00 
per  ton.  With  so  large  and  strong  a  vein,  so  well  filled  with  min- 
eralized matter  there  is  every  reason  to  look  for  much  from  the  future 
of  this  property.  Doubtless  the  surface  ore  has  undergone  a  leach- 
ing out  process  at  the  hands  of  nature,  it  being  of  a  free  character, 


22 

and  so  easily  acted  upon  that  the  course  of  the  vein  is  traceable  by 
a  marked  depression  in  the  hill  through  which  it  passes.  Naturally 
the  apex  ore  of  a  large  vein  of  this  description,  is  found  debased 
through  the  influence  of  surface  infiltration.  It  is  the  candid  opinion 
of  some  of  the  best  judges  of  mines  in  New  Mexico  that  the  Silver 
Queen  will  prove  an  immense  mine  upon  deep  development.  This 
is  an  opinion  in  which  the  writer  of  this  pamphlet  shares.  The 
course  of  the  vein  is  north  and  south. 

Silver  Queen,  Number  i,is  located  parallel  with  and  adjoins  the 
Silver  Queen  upon  the  west.  The  ore  is  of  a  quartz  character,  car- 
rying galena,  sulphide  of  silver,  chloride  and  native  silver.  There 
are  two  openings  on  the  claim,  consisting  of  a  shaft  eighteen  feet 
deep,  and  an  adit  level  eighteen  feet  in  length.  As  yet  the  ore  is 
low  grade,  the  assays  showing  only  the  presence  of  a  small  amount  of 
silver.  Burke  and  Skipp  are  the  owners  and  locators  of  the  claim. 

Silver  Queen,  Number  2,  is  an  east  and  west  location,  its  east  end 
line  joining  with  the  west  sid'e  line  of  the  Silver  Queen,  Number  i. 
It  shows  a  vein  of  iron  sulphurets  in  porphyry,  and  was  located  more 
with  a  view  to  taking  up  and  protecting  the  water  right  of  that  por- 
tion of  Sawpit  canon,  in  which  it  is  situated,  than  for  any  other  pur- 
pose. Burke  and  Skipp  are  the  owners  and  locators. 

The  Black  Colt  is  a  property  upon  which  considerable  surface 
work  has  been  done.  At  numerous  points  on  the  claim  there  are 
outcroppings  of  iron  and  manganese,  nearly  all  of  which  have  silver 
in  greater  or  less  quantity.  Several  of  these  have  been  stripped 
off,  and  three  shafts  have  been  sunk.  The  vein  is  a  contact-fissure, 
between  limestone  and  porphyry.  One  shaft  is  down  a  depth  of 
forty-five  feet,  one  over  sixty  feet  and  one  twenty-five  feet,  all  show- 
ing an  abundance  of  mineralized  vein  matter.  Assays  from  ore  tak- 
en out  have  returned  from  fifty  to  sixty  dollars  per  ton.  Peterson  and 
Simpson  located  and  own  the  claim. 

The  Savage  is  located  alongside  the  Superior  mine,  and  is  own- 
ed by  Frazer,  Holt  and  Cosgrove.  It  covers  quite  an  extent  of  the 
same  belt  of  limestone  as  do  the  Bullion  and  Superior  mines  and 
has  also  within  its  lines  a  contact-fissure.  The  owners  have  put 
down  a  fifty  foot  shaft  on  an  iron  capping  in  the  limestone.  No 
work  of  consequence  has  yet  been  done  on  the  contact.  Some  very 
favorable  assays  have  been  obtained  from  ore  out  of  the  Savage. 


23 

The  Little  Jimmie  is  owned  by  Moore,  Bennett  &  Co.  It  is 
opened  in  two  places  from  the  surface  by  means  of  shafts  sunk  in  . 
limestone.  Quite  a  large  body  of  low  grade  ore  has  been  struck  in 
one  of  the  shafts  and  development  is  being  done  with  a  view  to 
reaching  a  better  grade  of  ore.  In  character  the  ore  is  similar  to 
that  produced  by  the  Bullion  and  Superior,  but  the  value  so  far  is  as 
stated,  low.  The  workings  of  the  Little  Jimmie  are  in  the  same  lime 
belt  as  are  the  two  famous  mines  mentioned. 

The  Southwick  is  east  of  the  Savage'  and  parallel  with  it.  It  is 
owned  by  Burke  and  O'Rourke.  A  ten  foot  shaft  shows  vein  mat- 
ter consisting  of  iron  and  manganese. 

The  Evening  Star,  west  of  and  parallel  with  the  Bullion  and  Su- 
perior, is  owned  by  Burke  and  Skipp.  It  shows  a  contact  on  the 
surface. 

The  Silver  Bullion,  owned  by  Burke  and  Skipp,  lies  close  to  the 
Bullion  upon  the  east.  It  has  a  shaft  sunk  on  a  contact,  and  makes 
a  fair  showing  of  mineralized  vein  matter. 

The  Uncle  Jack  is  owned  by  Dugan,  Donohoe  and  McNally. 
It  is  on  a  contact  between  lime  and  porphyry,  and  is  opened  by  a 
shaft  to  the  depth  of  eighty  feet.  The  vein  matter  is  iron  and  man- 
ganese, all  mineralized,  but  of  low  grade. 

The  Empire  is  the  extension  upon  the  north,  of  the  Iron  King, 
and  is  owned  by  Dan  Dugan.  It  is'  in  the  same  lime  belt  as  the 
Iron  King  and  shows  upon  the  surface  the  same  iron  cropping. 
There  are  about  fifty  feet  of  work  done  upon  the  claim  and  some 
assays  have  been  obtained  that  show  well.  Average  samples  of  the 
ore  assay  from  twenty-two  to  sixty  odd  ounces. 

The  Palmetto  is  owned  by  Skipp,  Burke  and  Barnaby.  It  lies 
parallel  with  the  Iron  King  and  Empire.  No  work  of  consequence 
has  been  done  upon  it,  but  there  is  the  same  surface  showing  of  iron 
and  manganese,  as  is  to  be  found  upon  the  surface  of  claims  in  that 
locality. 

The  Judge  is  owned  by  Skipp,  Burke  and  Thompson.  It  has  a 
shaft  upon  it  twelve  feet  deep,  in  iron  and  manganese,  from  which 
some  fair  assays  in  silver  have  been  obtained. 

The  John  Brant  is  owned  by  Dawson,  Ferguson,  and  Roach.  It 
is  opened  by  a  twelve  foot  shaft  showing  excellent  indications  of  the 


24 

same  character  as  that  exhibited  in  other  claims  of  the  neighbor- 
hood. 

The  Iron  Ma.sk  is  owned  by  O'Donnell  and  Stanley.  It  is  the 
north  extension  of  the  Silver  Queen  and  shows  an  extensive  outcrop 
of  the  same  material  as  that  held  between  the  walls  of  the  "Queen." 
It  is  opened  by  two  shafts,  one  twenty  feet  deep  and  one  ten  feet 
deep.  The  vein  matter  assays  from  twelve  to  fifteen  dollars  in  silver. 

The  Roman  Beauty  is  owned  by  Timothy  Kelly  and  Thos.  Don- 
nor.  Shows  the  same  croppings  as  the  Iron  Mask  and  is  opened  by 
means  of  a  twenty  foot  shaft.  Some  high  assays  have  been  obtained 
from  ore  out  of  this  claim,  one.  going  as  high  as  $  1,400. 

The  Star  of  the  West  is  owned  by  Skipp,  Burke,  O'Donnell  and 
Barnaby.  No  work  of  consequence  has  been  done  upon  it  but  there 
is  a  good  surface  show  of  iron  and  manganese. 

The  Nip  and  Tuck  is  a  fractional  claim  lying  between  the  Iron 
King,  Miner's  Dream  and  the  Mountain  Chief.  It  is  finely  located, 
lying  in  the  midst  of  a  group  of  excellent  claims.  It  is  located  along 
the  course  of  a  porphyry  and  lime  contact,  and  shows  iron  and  man- 
ganese cropping.  The  owners  are  Burke,  Delaney  and  Corcoran. 

The  Moore  Bros,  and  Co.,  have  several  claims  north  and  east 
of  the  Bullion  and  Superior.  They  are  located  with  good  discern- 
ment as  regards  the  probable  existence  of  ore.  One  of  these,  the 
Fijiean,  shows  a  strong  outcrop  of  ferrugineous  quartz.  The  decom- 
position of  the  iron  has  completely  metamorphosed  whole  portions 
of  the  original  rock,  until  it  resembles  what  is  commonly  called 
"burnt  iron."  This  claim  has  produced  ore  from  a  ten  foot  shaft 
that  gives  encouraging  returns  in  silver  when  tested  by  assay. 

The  foregoing  embraces  most  of  the  mines  and  prospects  which 
are  of  a  uniform  character,  lying  north  and  east  of  the  Iron  King  and 
Miner's  Dream,  and  south  of  those  which  would  come  properly  un- 
der the  head  of  North  Percha  mines.  They  are  grouped  as  given 
for  the  sake  of  convenience  in  the  compilation  of  this  pamphlet. 

The  mines,  commencing  with  the  Iron  King  and  Miner's 
Dream,  which  lie  south  and  west  of  the  ones  already  described,  will 
now  be  taken  up,  embracing  all  those  of  prominence  and  prospect- 
ive value  situated  upon  the  east  and  west  slopes  of  Kentuck  moun- 
tain, the  adjacent  mountain  upon  which  the  Black  Eyed  Susan, 
Andy  Johnson  and  Brush  Heap  are  located,  and  all  others  about 


25 

which  it  has  been  possible  to  gather  information,  and  which  proper- 
ly belong  under  the  head  of  Middle  Percha  mines. 

The  Iron  King  is  perhaps  the  best  and  most  widely  known  of 
all  the  properties  in  the  Percha  district.  It  was  the  first  location, 
and  by  reason  of  its  quick  sale  at  handsome  figures,  and  the  subse- 
quent development  of  its  vast  ore  bodies,  it  caused  to  be  fixed  upon 
this  section  the  attention  of  prospectors  and  mining  men  from  all 
sections  of  the  country.  The  mine  was  located  in  November,  1880, 
by  Elliott  and  Forbes,  who  sold  the  property  when  there  was  only  an 
eight  foot  shaft  upon  it,  for  the  sum  of  $25,000,  Philadelphia  people 
being  the  purchasers.  It  is  located  upon  a  zone  or  belt  of  limestone 
in  which  the  ore  is  mostly  found  lying  conformably  with  the  plane 
of  the  strata  of  the  enclosing  rock,  and  belongs  to  that  class  which 
comes  under  the  head  of  limestone  deposits.  It  is,  in  fact,  the  chief 
representative  of  that  class  of  mines.  It  differs  locally  from  most  of 
the  others  because  the  strata  of  limestone  which  originally  covered 
the  ore  along  the  east  half  of  the  claim's  length  has  been  almost  en- 
tirely scored  off,  leaving  exposed,  close  to  the  surface,  the  ore  of  the 
the  vein,  except  where  covered  by  thin  scales  of  limestone,  or  the 
detritus  incident  to  all  mountain  surfaces.  The  middle  workings  of 
the  mine  comprise  two  shafts  and  an  adit  level.  One  of  these  shafts 
— the  main  one  of  the  mine — is  down  seventy  feet  and  shows  ore  all 
the  way,  at  the  sides  and  bottom.  The  first  forty  feet  is  ore  that 
averages  well  in  lead,  being  a  decomposed  quartz,  carrying  lead  car- 
bonates and  iron.  The  balance  continues  in -ore  of  a  slightly  differ- 
ent description,  consisting  of  brown  oxide  of  iron  principally,  carry- 
ing copper  carbonates  and  showing  bunches  of  galena  distributed 
throughout  the  mass.  Three  hundred  feet  west,  or  near  the  center 
of  the  claim,  a  shaft  is  down  through  limestone  eighty  odd  feet,  fol- 
lowing a  streak  of  ore  bearing  lead  carbonates.  Between  the  two 
shafts  an  adit  level  is  in  forty  feet,  showing  ore  the  whole  way,  top, 
sides  and  bottom.  It  is  of  the  same  general  character,  being  a 
brown  and  red  oxide  of  iron,  galena  and  lead  carbonate.  Near  the 
north  end  there  are  two  shafts  of  fifty  feet  each,  in  black  iron  and 
manganese,  carrying  some  lead.  For  two  hundred  and  forty  feet, 
the  distance  between  these  two  shafts,  an  open  cut  has  been  excavat- 
ed to  a  depth  of  ten  feet,  showing  ore  all  the  way.  At  the  extreme 
north  end  and  close  to  the  center  end  stake,  there  is  a  quartz  cross 


26 

course  which  has  been  stripped  along  its  length  for  forty  feet,  pro- 
ducing considerable  galena  ore.  At  the  south  end  there  is  a  twenty- 
five  foot  shaft  in  iron  and  manganese  ore.  The  ore  from  this  shaft 
averages  sixty-five  ounces  in  silver.  At  the  extreme  south  end  there 
is  a  cut  of  sixty-five  feet,  in  black  iron,  and  from  the  bottom  of  this 
an  incline  shaft  is  down  forty-six  feet  all  in  ore  of  the  same  charac- 
ter of  iron  and  manganese,  averaging  fairly  in  lead.  Fifty  feet  east 
of  this  is  another  cut  twenty-five  feet  long,  with  a  vertical  shaft  forty 
feet  deep.  From  this  it  will  be  seen  that  the  territory  of  the  Iron 
King,  embraces  an  extensive  tract  of  valuable  mineral  bearing 
ground.  Exploitation  shows  that  the  ore  exists  at  every  point  be- 
neath the  surface  of  at  least  one-half  the  property,  and  extremely 
strong  probabilities  for  its  continuing  under  most  of  the  remaining 
surface.  It  also  shows  that  this  body  of  ore  is  over  seventy  feet 
thick,  which  of  itself  is  something  enormous.  While  it  is  not  what 
would  be  called  high  grade,  the  ore  is  sufficiently  valuable  to  furnish 
good  returns  over  the  cost  of  mining,  handling  and  treating,  when 
once  the  district  is  supplied  with  local  smelting  establishments.  The 
ore  ranges  from  twenty  to  ninety  ounces  in  silver  and  from  twelve 
to  sixty  per  cent,  in  lead.  The  property  is  now  owned  by  a  private 
corporation  of  ample  means  and  first-class  financial  standing,  and  is 
being  developed  with  a  view  to  demonstrating  its  actual  worth,  and 
also  for  the  purpose  of  extracting  and  marketing  the  great  quantities 
of  ore  known  to  exist  in  it.  E.  Lucien  Richie  is  the  resident  agent 
and  general  manager  at  Kingston,  and  Wm.  Welch  is  the  working 
superintendent  at  the  mine. 

The  Miner's  Dream  lies  east  of  and  immediately  parallel  with 
the  Iron  King.  It  is  owned  by  Delaney,  Corcoran  and  company. 
The  ore  so  far  found  lies  in  an  interstratafied  condition  in  the  lime- 
stone, but  the  general  trend  of  it  is  toward  a  contact-fissure  which 
is  plainly  indicated  upon  the  surface  of  the  ground  covered  by  the 
property.  The  main  development  is  an  adit  level  which  has  follow- 
ed ore  from  the  surface  and  which  shows  a  fine  body  of  ore  several 
feet  in  thickness,  at  the  breast.  It  is  an  argentiferous  galena,  select- 
ed samples  of  which  return  high  assay  values.  Considerable  blue 
and  green  carbonate  of  copper  has  been  produced  from  this  mine. 
There  is  a  large  dump  of  ore  at  the  entrance  of  the  main  opening. 

The  Pinafore   is  located   south    of  the  Iron   King  and   Miner's 


27 

Dream.  It  is  owned  by  Burke  &  Skipp.  Shows  surface  indications 
and  is  the  same  character  of  mine  as  the  "  King."  It  has  a  shaft 
down  fifty-four  feet  and  has  produced  ore  which  assays  well  in  silver. 

The  Cave  mine,  owned  by  Dugan  and  Donohoe,  is  in  the  same 
locality.  It  has  a  shaft  twenty  feet  deep,  with  good  ore  of  a  quartz 
character,  from  some  of  which  high  assays  have  been  obtained. 

The  Ready  Cash  is  a  contact-fissure,  upon  which  the  work  -done 
has  resulted  in  making  a  very  handsome  looking  prospect.  There 
is  a  well  defined  streak  of  lead  carbonate  ore,  and  the  silver  value  is 
highly  encouraging,  running  upwards  of  one  hundred  ounces.  This 
is  one  of  the  best  undeveloped  claims  on  the  Middle  Percha. 

The  Kentuck  is  owned  by  Bledsoe,  Kelly,  Roberts  and  com- 
pany. It  is  opened  in  several  places  and  makes  a  good  show  of  val- 
uable ore  in  considerable  quantity. 

The  Frazer  is  owned  by  Frazer  and  Holt.  Has  a  shaft  twenty 
feet  deep,  showing  ore  carrying  silver.  Assays  of  over  $200  have 
been  obtained  from  ore  out  of  this  property.  The  vein  is  from  three 
to  four  feet  wide. 

The  Andy  Johnson,  Black  Eyed  Susan  and  Brush  Heap  mines 
comprise  a  group  that  were  located  and  are  now  owned  by  Forbes 
and  Elliott,  the  two  pioneer  prospectors  of  the  district.  The  discov- 
ery of  these  two  claims  was  the  cause  of  the  first  excitement  ever  ex- 
perienced by  the  Percha  district,  as  from  ore  found  in  them  very 
high  assays  were  obtained.  They  were  discovered  soon  after  the 
Iron  King  and  are  of  the  same  character  of  mines  as  the  u  King," 
viz.,  interstratafied  or  bedded  deposits  in  limestone,  the  overlying 
strata  being  an  argyllaceous  limestone,  or  lime  shale.  The  most  im- 
portant mine  of  the  group,  because  of  the  superior  amount  of  devel- 
opment done  upon  it,  is  the  Andy  Johnson.  It  has  been  opened  on 
the  vein  by  a  shaft  115  feet  deep  and  two  levels  run  on  the  vein,  one 
at  thirty  feet  from  the  surface  and  one  from  the  bottom  of  the  shaft. 
The  ore  throughout  will  average  thirty  inches  in  thickness  and  ranges 
in  value  from  $10  to  $1,000  per  ton.  No  general  average  of  the  vein 
was  ever  taken,  but  assorted  lots  mill  upwards  of  $100  per  ton. 
There  is  a  large  dump  of  ore  at  the  mine  which  came  out  of  the 
workings  and  an  average  sample  of  that  returned  at  the  rate  of  $75.00 
per  ton.  The  Andy  Johnson  was  the  first  mine  in  the  district 
give  a  high  assay  return,  a  piece  off  the  outcrop  going  $750. 


28 

The  Black  Eyed  Susan  is  in  the  same  mineral  belt  and  is  open- 
ed by  an  adit  twenty-five  feet  in  length,  showing  ore  from  two  to 
three  feet  wide  the  Avhole  distance.  It  averages  $50.00  in  silver  and 
from  thirty  to  forty  per  cent,  in  lead. 

The  Brush  Heap  is  also  on  the  same  lime  belt.  It  is  opened  in 
several  places  on  the  surface,  the  principal  work  being  an  open  cut, 
six  by  ten  feet.  The  vein  here  is  fully  six  feet  wide  and  filled  with 
ore  from  wall  to  wall.  Some  very  high  assays  have  been  had  from 
ore  out  of  this  mine,  but  the  general  average,  as  determined  by  actual 
tests  made  by  disinterested  parties,  is  $61.00  in  silver. 

The  Eclipse  is  parallel  with  the  Black  Eyed  Susan,  and  is  owned 
by  Daniel  Dugan.  It  has  a  surface  opening  showing  it  to  be  of  the 
same  character.  The  ore  assays  well. 

The  Illinois  mine  lies  south  of  those  just  described,  and  is  the 
same  character  of  mine,  both  as  regards  its  manner  of  occurrence 
and  character  of  ore.  It  is  owned  by  Colonel  Logan,  A.  W.  Harris, 
D.  H.  Jackson,  J.  W.  Southwick  and  others.  The  main  opening  is 
an  adit  in  about  thirty  feet,  following  a  two  foot  ore  streak  for  twenty- 
feet.  At  about  midway  of  the  adit  an  incline  drift  has  been  run  to 
the  southeast  showing  the  vein  clearly  defined  and  in  ore.  A  shaft 
is  also  down  on  the  property  to  a  depth  of  twenty  odd  feet.  Out  of 
this  there  has  been  a  quantity  of  good  ore  taken  and  sacked,  it  being 
found  in  bunches  connected  with  each  other  by  thin  ore  streaks. 
The  ore  of  the  Illinois  mine  is  of  a  uniformly  good  grade,  and  will 
average  throughout  the  workings  about  $100  per  ton.  The  silver  is 
found  as  a  chloride,  sulphide,  and  in  the  native  state.  Considerable 
of  the  ore  carrys  a  fair  percentage  of  lead,  sufficiently  so  to  make  it 
desirable  for  that  metal,  was  there  a  local  market  for  it. 

The  south  extension  of  the  Illinois  is  owned  by  Harris  and  Per- 
kins. It  has  a  ten  foot  shaft  and  shows  ore  that  assays  low  in  silver. 

The  Good  Will  lies  southeast  of  the  Illinois,  and  is  owned  by 
Roach,  Ferguson  and  Dawson.  It  is  opened  by  a  fifteen  foot  shaft, 
and  has  a  fair  streak  of  ore.  Assays  show  a  value  of  $30.00. 

The  U.  S.  claim  lies  west  of  the  Illinois  and  is  developed  by  a 
seventy-five  foot  shaft.  It  shows  fine  indications  of  mineral  in  the 
bottom  and  promises  to  reach  ore,  which  in  character  will  be  like 
that  of  the  Bullion  and  Superior. 

The  Gray  Horse,  owned  by  Dugan,  McNally  and  Donohoe,  has 


29 

a  shaft  sixty  feet  deep  with  several  minor  surface  openings.  It  shows 
ore  in  all  the  openings  made,  and  these  are  seemingly  along  the  line 
of  a  fracture  in  the  surface  limestone,  which  from  appearances  and 
the  nature  of  the  ore  held  by  them,«would  seem  to  indicate  the  pres- 
ence of  an  interstratified  ore  deposit  at  greater  depth.  The  assays 
of  this  ore  have  been  of  a  very  flattering  kind,  the  average  being  up- 
wards of  $100. 

The  Southwest,  owned  by  Frazer  and  Holt,  is  located  about 
two  miles  south  from  Kingston,  and  under  development  made  this 
spring  is  proving  to  be  a  mine  of  excellent  merit.  It  is  opened  by  a 
shaft  sunk  upon  a  large  body  of  ore,  which  carries  silver  in  good 
quantities.  It  is  located  upon  a  contact-fissure  vein. 

The  Big  Thing,  owned  by  Chase  &  Co.,  is  located  upon  the 
summit  of  Kentuck  mountain.  It  has  been  worked  actively  tor 
several  months  by  a  force  of  five  men,  and  shows  eight  feet  of  ore 
that  runs  $40  in  silver.  It  is  a  claim  of  exceeding  good  promise. 

The  Seaside  is  situated  upon  one  of  the  hills  northeast  of 
Kingston  and  has  a  streak  of  ore  varying  from  twelve  to  twenty 
inches,  from  which  some  very  high  assay  returns  have  been  obtained. 
It  is  owned  by  Dansby,  Bryson  and  others. 

Besides  those  mentioned  in  more  or  less  detail  in  the  foregoing, 
there  is  a  host  of  claims  within  the  limits  of  the  Middle  Percha 
whose  merits  are  such  as  to  entitle  them  to  favorable  mention  did 
the  limit  of  this  pamphlet  permit  of  it.'  The  east  slope  of  Kentuck 
mountain  and  the  slopes  of  the  hills  northeast  and  southwest  of 
Kingston  contain  many  such.  Those  of  Kentuck  mountain  are  par- 
ticularly deserving  and  embrace  the  following  well  and  favorably- 
known  properties  :  The  Whale,  Tip  Top  and  Good  Hope.  Among 
the  others  are  the  Hilty  Fraction,  John  S.  Phelps,  Sun  Set,  Lucky- 
Cuss,  Sun, Rise,  Shorty,  Little  Anna,  Lizzie,  Silver,  No.  2,  Van  YVert, 
White  Elephant  and  the  Sand  Flat.  None  of  these  but  what  have 
had  considerable  work  done  on  them,  and  all  show  ore  in  more  or  less 
quantity. 

In  Sawpit  gulch  is  the  Yellow  Jacket,  showing  a  large  vein  of 
white  quartz,  with  chloride  stains.  North  of  this  is  the  Monona, 
located  along  the  line  of  a  contact-fissure,  and  looking  well.  The 
Condor,  in  the  immediate  vicinity,  is  also  a  good  promising  claim. 

Immediately  west  of  town  are  several  good  prospects.     Among 


30 

them  are  the  Humbug,  Mount  Auburn,  Tiger  and  Pinon.  These 
have  veins  and  a  mineral  showing. 

A  group  of  seven  claims  lie  just  at  the  western  edge  of  Kingston 
that  are  the  property  of  Burke  and  Skipp.  They  all  show  denned 
veins  and  mineral.  The  principal  ones  are  the  Homestake,  Rising 
Sun  and  Enterprise. 

The  Todos  Santos  is  south  of  town.  It  has  been  opened  in 
several  places,  and  shows  a  crevice  with  favorable  indications. 

NORTH    PERCH  A. 

Although  identical  in  formation  with  the  Middle  Percha,  North 
Percha's  mines  thus  far  are  those  which  belong  to  the  quartz  ledge 
variety,  described  elsewhere  in  this  pamphlet.  The  amount  of  de- 
velopment upon  the  North  Percha  mines  is  far  less  than  is  found 
upon  the  middle  stream  properties.  A  sufficient  amount,  however, 
has  been  done  to  demonstrate  that  there  are  a  number  of  very  valu- 
able mines  already  there,  and  to  show  conclusively  that  there  are 
many  others  destined  to  achieve  notoriety  in  the  role  of  ore  pro- 
ducers. 

The  Solitaire  mine,  or  as  it  was  originally  known,  the  Blacky,  is 
at  the  head  of  North  Percha  properties.  There  are  few  who  keep 
track  of  the  mineral  development  of  the  west  but  have  heard  the 
stories  of  its  wonderfully  rich  silver  float,  and  of  the  subsequent 
sale  of  the  property  to  Senator  Tabor,  the  bonanza  king  of  Colorado. 
The  Solitaire  is  located  along  the  course  of  a  quartz  ledge  which 
runs  in  a  general  direction  a  little  to  the  east  of  north  and  west  of 
south.  At  the  point  where  it  is  covered  by  the  Solitaire  location, 
the  course  is  about  north  and  south.  The  quartz  of  the  ledge  with- 
in the  boundaries  of  the  claim  is  heavily  charged  with  silver  sul- 
phide, chloride  and  bromide  of  silver.  Originally  the  ledge  appear- 
ed upon  the  surface  to  a  much  greater  extent  than  now,  but  the 
glacial  action  responsible  for  the  creation  of  the  gulch  which  lies 
west  of  the  openings  on  the  vein,  broke  it  over,  and  the  consequence 
is  that  south  of  the  crest  of  the  hill  upon  which  the  mine  is  located 
the  ledge  is  apparently  broken  off  and  lost.  The  ledge  continues  to 
the  north,  running  out  of  the  lime  and  into  and  through  a  large 
porphyry  dyke,  but  "pinching"  close  up  in  its  passage  through  it. 
In  fact  so  tight  is  this  "pinch"  that  it  is  only  traceable  in  many 
places  by  close  observation  of  the  pieces  of  porphyry  float  rock, 


31 

bearing  evidences  of  chemical  action  left  by  the  mineral  currents  in 
their  flowing.  Where  the  ledge  was  broken  off,  as  described  in  the 
foregoing,  there  happened  to  be  a  rich  ore  shoot  and  the  conse- 
quence was  that  the  sides  of  the  hill  were  covered  with  immense 
pieces  of  "float"  after  the  glacier  had  done  its  work  of  erosion.  In 
the  course  of  the  ages  that  have  since  passed  most  of  this  original 
"float"  being  exposed  to  the  corroding  influences  of  air  and  water, 
gradually  disintegrated;,  the  quartz  and  other  gangue  matter  being 
eaten  and  washed  away,  leaving  the  metal  in  the  form  of  the  huge 
chunks  of  sulphide  of  silver  afterwards  discovered  by  the  prospectors. 
The  ledge  itself  at  the  surface  was  also  acted  upon  by  the  same 
natural  and  powerful  influences,  and  at  places  along  the  ore  shoot 
the  silver  is  almost  as  plentiful  as  in  the  "float"  which  strewed  the 
hillside.  As  might  be  expected,  however,  this  zone  of  atmospheric 
decomposition  does  not  extend  to  any  great  depth  upon  the  ledge 
and  need  hardly  be  looked  for  in  the  deep  workings  of  the  mine.* 
There  the  ore  will  be  found  as  "live  rock"  and  while  undoubtedly 
it  will  be  of  exceeding  richness,  no  sensible  mining  man  would 
look  for  it  to  be  found  as  it  was  first  discovered  upon  the  surface. 
From  this  it  will  be  seen  and  understood  that  the  Solitaire  differs 
only  locally  from  the  balance  of  the  mines  located  upon  the  quartz 
ledges  of  the  country.  It  happens  to  possess  a  richer  ore  shoot 
than  any  ledge  yet  discovered,  although  there  is  no  reason  to  sup- 
pose but  what  others  equally  as  good  may  be  opened  up.  Therein 
lies  the  opportunity  of  the  capitalist.  As  determined  by  work  done, 
the  Solitaire  mine  shows  a  shoot  of  ore  about  500  feet  in  length  that 
will  average  fully  twenty  feet  wide.  It  dips  off  to  the  west  from  the 
surface  at  an  angle  of  perhaps  eighty  degrees.  It  is  opened  in 
several  places,  all  of  which  show  ore  in  large  bodies.  The  richest 
is  that  which  lies  against  the  east  wall.  The  mine  is  now  being 
actively  developed  by  Mr.  J.  F.  Tabor  in  the  interest  of  his  brother, 
Senator  Tabor.  Ore  is  being  daily  extracted  and  sacked  for  ship- 
ment to  the  market  at  Denver,  Colorado.  It  is  the  intention  of  Sen- 
ator Tabor  to  thoroughly  open  the  mine  and  determine  what  is  neces- 
sary to  the  Successful  and  economical  treatment  of  its  ore.  When  that 
is  decided,  the  proper  kind  of  works  will  at  once  be  erected  and  the 
ore  handled  here  in  the  district.  As  now  being  produced,  the  first- 
class  ore  runs  close  to  $1,000  per  ton,  while  the  general  average  of 


32 

all  that  is  taken  out  will  exceed  $300.  Extensive  improvements  are 
in  contemplation  at  this  property.  The  price  paid  in  all  to  the 
claimants  of  the  mine  amounted  to  $110,000,  which  included  also 
the  Saint  Clair,  a  partial  extension  of  the  Solitaire. 

The  Saint  Clair  is  located  north  of  the  Solitaire  and  shows 
croppings  of  the  same  ledge.  It  is  also  the  property  of  Senator 
Tabor,  having  been  included  in  the  purchase  of  the  Solitaire.  The 
work  done  upon  it  is  confined  to  a  few  surface  openings  of  no  par- 
ticular consequence.  Quite  a  considerable  quantity  of  very  rich 
"float"  was  found  upon  the  surface  of  this  claim  at  the  time  of  its 
discovery. 

The  Brilliant  lies  parallel  with  the  Solitaire  and  immediately  west. 
It  is  owned  by  Jeff  Raynolds,  of  Las  Vegas,  by  whom  it  was  pur- 
chased during  the  fall  of  1882.  A  great  deal  of  rich  float  has  been 
-taken  from  the  surface  ground  of  the  Brilliant.-  This  has  all  been 
assorted  and  sacked  and  is  now  held  at  the  mine  ready  for  shipment 
at  any  time.  A  shaft  has  been  sunk  to  a  depth  of  eighty  feet  and  a 
cross-cut  tunnel  has  been  pushed  in  for  the  purpose  of  striking  the 
ledge.  Besides  this  there  have  been  several  surface  openings  made. 
In  many  places  the  Brilliant  ground  is  covered  with  huge  pieces  of 
quartz  carrying  silver.  It  is  undoubtedly  a  good  piece  of  mining 
property  and  once  it  is  intelligently  developed  will  prove  equal  to 
its  name. 

The  Silver  Nugget  is  a  fractional  claim  lying  east  of  the  Solitaire 
and  between  it  and  the  Morning  Star.  A  great  deal  of  rich  silver 
float  was  taken  from  the  surface  of  this,  but  no  work  has  been  done 
upon  it. 

The  Morning  Star  is  owned  by  the  Moore  Bros,  and  McDougall. 
It  is  located  east  of  the  Solitaire  in  a  northerly  and  southerly  direc- 
tion. Some  excellent  quartz  has  been  found  upon  this  property  and 
high  assay  returns  have  been  received  from  pieces  subjected  to  test. 
The  proximity  alone  of  the  Morning  Star  to  the  Solitaire,  makes  the 
former  a  valuable  property. 

The  Nevada  mine  is  an  east  and  west  location,  its  south  end  join- 
ing the  east  side  of  the  Solitaire  at  the  northern  part  of  the  latter 
property.  It  was  located  by  the  Moore  Bros,  and  McDougall.  It 
is  now  owned  principally  by  a  Chicago  company.  There  is  a  shaft 
upon  the  property  down  to  a  depth  of  over  seventy  feet,  and  another 


33 

surface  opening  in  the  gulch  at  the  south  end  of  the  claim.  This 
latter  shows  quartz.  The  shaft  is  all  in  iron  stained  porphyry. 

The  Oxford,  owned  by  the  Moore  Bros,  and  McDougall,  is 
located  south  of  the  Brilliant  and  shows  a  well  defined  ledge  of 
quartz  that  contains  silver  in  very  appreciable  quantities.  Quite  an 
amount  of  work  has  been  done  upon  it,  consisting  of  two  shafts  and 
three  drifts.  The  ledge  is  seventeen  feet  wide  where  exposed  on  the 
surface  and  the  assay  values  range  from  thirty-two  to  forty -two 
ounces. 

The  Bodie  joins  the  Solitaire  at  the  south  end  line  of  the  latter 
and  has  a  good  ledge  of  quartz.  Only  a  small  amount  of  develop- 
ment has  been  done  on  it,  but  enough  is  shown  to  demonstrate  that 
it  possesses  considerable  prospective  merit. 

The  Hillsboro  mine  lies  northeast  of  the  Solitaire  about  a  mile, 
and  is  a  property  which  has  already  attracted  much  attention  be- 
cause of  the  good  width  of  the  mineral  bearing  ledge  it  shows,  and 
also  on  account  of  the  high  average  value  of  the  ore  produced  by  it. 
It  is  owned  by  the  Black  Range  Mining  Company,  a  San  Francisco 
corporation,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $10,000,000.  In  the  upper  work- 
ings, the  quartz  produced  has  an  unusually  high  average,  carrying 
chloride,  bromide  and  ruby  silver,  quite  profusely.  The  high  grade 
quartz  is  fully  four  feet  in  width,  and  is  traceable  for  a  long  distance 
upon  the  surface.  The  Hillsboro  is  one  of  the  mines  which  the 
Percha  district  looks  forward  to  to  sustain  the  reputation  it  now  pos- 
sesses as  a  rich  mining  district,  and  in  this  the  Hillsboro  will  not  be 
disappointing.  Morris  Hoeflich,  the  well  known  California  and 
Comstock  mining  man  is  at  the  head  of  the  company  owning  this 
property. 

The  Chapeau,  joining  the  Hillsboro,  is  owned  by  F.  J.  Wilson 
and  M.  W.  Wallace.  It  shows  a  vein  in  limestone  that  varies  in  width 
from  two  to  eight  feet  so  far  as  opened.  There  has  been  a  total  of  1 10 
feet  of  work  done  upon  it.  At  a  point  200  feet  above  the  lower 
workings,  there  is  a  defined  contact  of  lime  and  porphyry,  show- 
ing a  heavy  blossom  of  black  iron  and  manganese.  The  vein  worked 
upon  is  apparently  a  spur  leading  to  the  contact,  and  carries  a 
gangue  composed  of  quartz,  spar  and  talc.  Assays  from  the  claim 
have  returned  from  $250  to  $4,000. 

The  Harkaway  is  owned  by  Carnahan  and   Barr.      It  has  two 


34 

different  veins  crossing  it.     There  is  a  ten-foot  assessment  shaft  and 
a  number  of  surface  openings. 

The  Silver  is  owned  by  Carnahan  and  Barr.  It  is  developed  by 
a  shaft  down  twenty-five  feet  on  a  contact  vein,  following  the  foot 
wall.  There  is  a  ten-inch  showing  of  black  talc,  mineralized.  The 
vein  is  three  feet  wide  and  almost  perpendicular.  Some  fine  speci- 
mens of  ore  have  been  produced  from  this  property,  showing  chlo- 
ride and  native  silver. 

The  Bullion  and  Belle  of  Percha  make  favorable  showings,  the 
latter  in  particular  having  an  immense  outcropping  of  quartz. 

The  Percha  Chief  is  owned  by  J.  W.  McCuistion,  Ed.  Kelley 
and  A.  J.  Shaw.  The  shaft  shows  an  iron  capping  nearly  vertical, 
changing  into  quartz  at  a  depth  of  nine  feet.  The  vein  is  well  de- 
fined and  easily  traced. 

The  Osceola,  is  owned  by  A.  J.  Shaw  and  F.  M.  Meyers.  It  has 
a  twelve-foot  vertical  shaft,  and  an  incline  shaft  twenty  feet  deep. 
Good  ore  has  been  produced  from  both  of  these  openings.  A  large 
cropping  of  quartz  upon  this  claim  shows  some  rich  ore. 

The  Gamewell  is  owned  by  McCuistion,  Kelley  and  Shaw.  It 
is  located  on  the  same  vein  as  the  Osceola.  It  has  a  shaft  twelve 
feet  deep. 

The  Comet  is  owned  by  Elaine  and  McLaughlin.  It  is  a  fissure 
in  porphyry,  carrying  a  quartz  gangue  bearing  silver  sulphurets.  It 
is  opened  by  an  adit  level  on  the  vein  to  a  distance  of  forty-five 
feet.  This  level  leaves  the  ore  to  the  right  most  of  the  way,  but  it 
is  ready  to  take  out  any  time. 

The  Temperate  Zone  and  Comet  lie  parallel  with  each  other 
and  are  owned  by  W.  H.  Hume  and  others.  The  vein  of  the  Tem- 
perate Zone  is  of  good  width  and  has  yielded  some  very  fine  ore. 

The  Gem  is  owned  by  Fitzpatrick,  Shannon  and  Fox.  Shows  a 
vein  from  ten  to  twelve  feet  in  width  and  are  now  in  on  it  twenty- 
two  feet.  Several  good  assay  returns  have  been  obtained  from  the 
Gem,  one  going  $260  in  silver.  The  average  returns  are  from  $60 
to  $70. 

The  Homestake  joins  the  Gem  on  the  southwest,  and  is  located 
upon  the  same  vein.  No  work  of  consequence  is  done.  It  is  owned 
by  Fitzpatrick,  Shannon  and  Fox.  Assays  run  from  $5.00  to  $100. 

The  Eclipse  shows  two  veins  carrying  considerable  iron,  and  has 


35 

produced  ore  running  from  $25  to  $40.  About  twenty-five  feet  of 
work  has  been  done  upon  it  consisting  of  shafts  and  open  cuts.  It 
is  owned  by  Fitzpatrick,  Shannon  and  Fox. 

The  Pennsylvania  is  owned  by  D.  S.  Foster,  Chas.  Bishop,  Thos. 
Fay  and  Dr.  B.  G.  Guthrie.  It  is  a  large,  well  defined  lode,  show- 
ing sulphurets  of  iron,  carrying  silver.  An  open-cut  is  excavated 
upon  the  vein  six  to  eight  feet  in  length. 

The  Utah  is  owned  by  Burke,  Skipp  and  Richie.  It  shows  a  fine, 
large  quartz  ledge  which  has  been  sunk  upon  to  a  depth  of  forty 
feet.  Ore  from  this  shaft  assays  very  well. 

The  Wild  Deer  is  owned  by  Moore  Bros,  and  McDougall.  It 
has  a  large  quartz  ledge,  fifteen  feet  in  width,  and  is  opened  by  a 
fifteen-foot  shaft. 

The  Maud  Muller  lies  west  of  the  Saint  Clair  and  is  owned  by 
Jeff  Raynolds.  A  great  deal  of  very  rich  "float"  has  been  taken 
from  the  surface  of  this  claim,  but  as  yet  no  ore  has  been  discovered 
in  place.  Several  surface  openings  have  been  made  upon  the  prop- 
erty. 

The  Keystone  is  a  very  promising  quartz  ledge.  It  is  located 
west  from  the  Solitaire  and  shows  ore  at  the  outcrop  similar  in  ap- 
pearance to  that  produced  by  the  Solitaire.  Assays  run  very  high. 
It  it  owned  by  Darst,  Nickle  and  others,  and  is  being  developed 
steadily. 

The  Mountain  View  is  owned  by  Burke,  Skipp  and  Elliott.  It 
has  a  fine  quartz  ledge.  No  work  of  consequence  has  yet  been 
done,  but  ore  off  the  out-crop  assays  $46.00. 

The  Glen  Cove  has  a  quartz  lead,  and  is  supplied  with  an  excel- 
lent mill  site.  No  work  or  assays. 

The  Silver  King  is  owned  by  Mason  and  Overhultz.  It  is  a 
quartz  lead  having  a  fifty-foot  shaft  upon  it.  Assays  vary  from  forty 
to  seventy-five  ounces. 

The  Lillie  D.  has  a  quartz  vein  in  limestone,  varying  from  three 
to  five  feet  in  width.  It  carries  ore  that  will  run  from  $200  to  $1,000. 
It  is  owned  by  Mason  and  Overhultz. 

The  Daisy  Deane  is  owned  by  Shaw  and  Martin  and  has  a  vein 
carrying  silver  sulphurets.  It  is  opened  by  an  adit  fifteen  feet  in 
length. 

Above  the  town  of  Percha,  and  on  the  south  fork  of  the  North 


36 

Percha  are  the  Cimarron,  Grizzly,  Sarah  Bernhardt,  Hopeful,  Tem- 
perance, Pocahontas  and  Little  Chief,  all  having  assessment  work 
only  done  upon  them.  They  are  the  property  of  Blain,  Bentley  and 
others. 

Besides  those  mentioned  there  are  in  other  portions  of  the 
Percha  district  a  great  number  of  claims  the  names  of  which  it  was 
impossible  to  "secure.  Some  of  them  are  equal  to  many  of  those 
which  have  been  written  of  in  the  preceding  pages.  Among  them 
are  the  Fay,  Butler,  Golden  Crown,  Silver  Tip,  Illinois,  Lillie  Game- 
well,  Grey  Eagle,  Sweet  Ann,  Casandra,  Revenue,  Golconda,  North 
Texan,  Valdemar,  Alpha,  Jackass  and  Sam  Tilden. 

Up  the  gulch,  east  of  Percha  City,  are  the  Sooner,  H.  Seeley, 
Burke,  Corry,  Gorringe  and  Gorringe  extension. 

About  three  miles  up  the  North  Percha  there  is  a  class  of  mines 
which  are  referred  to  in  the  description  of  the  formation  given  in 
this  pamphlet,  as  fissures  in  trachyte.  Of  late  these  have  begun  to 
receive  attention  at  the  hands  of  prospectors,  and  a  more  intimate 
knowledge  of  the  indications  presented  by  them  at  the  outcrops  is 
being  taken  advantage  of.  The  result  is  seen  in  the  new  strikes  that 
are  being  heard  of  as  occurring  in  the  section  noted.  They  present 
no  surface  ore  for  inspection,  the  only  indication  being  a  quartz 
cropping,  carrying  iron  sulphurets,  and  usually  barren  of  metallic- 
values,  at  the  apex  of  the  veins.  As  developed  thus  far,  the  iron 
gives  place  to  other  compounds,  and  the  ore  makes  its  appearance 
as  a  base  mass  of  quartz  carrying  chloride,  sulphide  and  ruby  silver, 
associated  with  other  and  baser  metals,  such  as  zinc,  arsenic  and  an- 
timony. The  grade  of  the  ore,  however,  is  high  enough  to  neutral- 
ize the  ill  effect  that  such  a  combination  usually  has  upon  ores  of 
only  ordinary  value.  In  many  mining  countries  veins  occurring  in 
trachyte  or  porphyritic  rocks  are  regarded  as  likely  to  be  of  com- 
paratively shallow  depth.  When  these  rocks  form  the  overlie  of  a 
mining  country  such  is  apt  to  be  the  case,  but  when,  as  in  the  Percha 
district,  they  are  intrusive  and  have  not  overflowed,  and  constitute 
the  formation  of  a  large  section,  veins  found  in  them  may  be  relied 
upon  to  continue  to  the  lowest  workable  depths,  and  far  below. 
Only  one  example  of  them  is  yet  to  be  seen,  as  but  one  has  been 
opened  sufficiently  to  allow  of  a  partial  determination  of  its  prospec- 
tive merits. 


•      37 

The  Keystone  is  the  mine  referred  to  in  the  last  sentence  of  the 
preceding  paragraph.  It  is  owned  by  Thomas  and  Purple.  It  is 
a  vertical  vein  in  trachyte.  There  is  an  adit  level  run  in  on 
the*  vein  for  a  distance  of  about  fifty  feet.  Where  this  level  was 
started  the  vein  was  about  one  foot  and  a  half  wide.  The  iron  was 
passed  through  at  about  sixteen  feet,  the  vein  widening  at  that  point 
to  three  and  a  half  feet,  and  good  ore  coming  in.  At  thirty  feet  an- 
other change  occurred,  brittle  and  ruby  making  its  appearance,  the 
ore  also  showing  zinc  blende.  The  hanging  wall  has  been  followed 
and  now  at  the  breast  of  the  level  there  are  three  and  a  half  feet  o't 
ore.  Of  this  about  fourteen  inches  is  exceedingly  rich  and  will 
average  not  less  than  $500  per  ton,  the  balance  is  ore  that  will  mill 
anywhere  from  $50  to  $75.  Only  the  hanging  wall  is  shown  at  the 
face  of  the  level,  the  vein  having  widened  out  so  that  the  balance  is 
all  mineral  bearing  crevice  matter.  A  great  deal  of  ore  has  been 
extracted  from  this  mine  and  a  shipment  of  several  tons  will  have 
been  made  by  the  time  this  pamphlet  makes  its  appearance. 

Extensions  of  the  Keystone  are  located  for  quite  a  distance, 
upon  the  same  vein,  and  the  fact  that  the  vein  is  so  clearly  denned 
and  crops  so  prominently  for  so  long  a  distance,  argues  much  in 
favor  of  its  merits  as  a  source  from  which  large  amounts  of  ore  may 
yet  be  taken.  Some  of  these  extensions  are  being  developed  rapidly 
and  the  same  general  characteristics  are  apparent  so  far  as  work  has 
been  done,  as  were  to  be  seen  upon  the  Keystone  itself — at  the  same 
stage.  Local  mine  operators  have  this  spring  entered  into  contract 
to  develop  some  of  the  extensions  of  the  Keystone  and  claims  located 
upon  similar  veins  in  the  neighborhood  are  now  being  looked  after 
by  the  shrewd  mining  men  of  this  section. 

SOUTH    PERCHA. 

Although  showing  surface  indications  and  formative  peculiarities 
similar  in  all  respects  to  those  of  the  Middle  and  North  Percha,  the 
South  Percha  has  not  yet  been  proved  up  to  even  such  a  limited 
extent  as  is  true  of  the  others.  The  leading  property  of  the  district 
has  been  tied  up  in  litigation  for  some  time  and  to  this  as  much  as 
anything  else  is  due,  perhaps,  the  inactivity  which  has  prevailed. 

The  Grey  Eagle  is  owned  by  John  S.  Stacy,  J.  J.  Avey,  L.  R. 
Routh  and  G.  A.  Cassil.  It  is  a  mine  which  illustrates  in  a  remark- 
able manner  one  of  the  peculiarities  of  the  vein  phenomena  of  the 


38 

Percha  district,  and  at  the  same  time  opens  the  eyes  of  the  investi- 
gator to  another  new  and  extremely  interesting  field  of  mineral  re- 
search. This,  because  so  far  as  yet  known  it  is  entirely  unlike  any 
other  mine  yet  discovered  hereabouts,  and  is  representative  of  a  class 
of  mines  that  may  yet  prove  important  factors  in  the  make-up  of 
those  upon  which  the  town  of  Kingston  depends  for  support.  Those 
who  have  read  the  description  of  the  formation  as  given  in  the  pre- 
ceding pages  of  this  pamphlet,  will  remember  it  is  stated  that  "  In 
some  places  the  porphyry  fails  to  intrude  itself  clear  through  the 
limestone  to  the  surface,  but  after  rising  to  a  certain  plane,  has 
spread  out  and  is  found  in  the  condition  of  an  interstratafication  in 
the  sedimentary  rocks.  Hence  it  is  that  the  lime  sometimes  appears 
overlying  the  porphyry."  The  formation  of  the  Grey  Eagle  vein  is 
a  perfect  illustration  of  this.  The  ore  is  found  lying  on  top  of  the 
porphyry  and  underneath  the  limestone,  which  latter  rock  forms  the 
surface  of  the  hill  into  which  the  main  workings  have  been  driven. 
The  consequence  is  that  so  far  as  exposed  the  vein  is  a  contact,  with 
a  lime  hanging  and  a  porphyry,  or  trachyte  foot  wall.  As  it  was 
o'riginally  formed  the  vein  would  never  have  been  discovered,  but 
the  erosive  force  that  made  the  Lake  fork  of  South  Percha  canon, 
scored  off  the  mass  of  overlying  rock  down  to  and  below  the  apex 
of  the  vein,  at  the  particular  point  where  the  prospectors  discovered 
it.  This  erosion  also  caused  the  apex  of  the  vein  to  assume  a  horse- 
shoe course  so  that  riow.it  is  traceable  from  a  point  where  it  rises 
out  of  the  bed  of  the  creek  at  the  east,  westerly  about  800  feet,  south- 
erly across  the  creek  and  then  easterly  back  again  for  a  long  distance, 
conforming  always  to  the  contour  of  the  hills  through  which  it 
passes.  The  vein  shows  continuously  for  a  distance  of  several 
thousand  feet,  and  varies  in  width  at  the  different  openings,  from 
two  to  fifteen  feet*  It  is  exposed  in  numerous  workings,  the  princi- 
pal being  those  on  the  Grey  Eagle  mine.  The  first  is  a  small  cut 
just  above  the  creek,  which  shows  approach  to  the  vein  and  will 
probably  reach  it  in  a  tew  feet  further.  The  second  is  an  adit  in 
about  fifteen  feet  showing  a  splendid  breast  of  ore.  The  third  is 
farther  up  the  hill  upon  the  course  of  the  vein  and  has  also  an  ex- 
cellent showing  of  ore  in  sight.  On  the  south  bank  of  the  creek  a 
tunnel  is  in  about  twenty-five  feet  but  evidently  below  the  vein,  al- 
though some  ore  has  been  taken  from  it.  Throughout  the  excava- 


39 

tions  the  ore  is  continuous  and  is  a  strongly  defined  shoot,  the  chief 
portion  of  it  appearing  to  be  upon  the  north  side  of  the  creek  and 
pitching  a  little  to  the  east  of  north.  The  ore  is  a  mixture  of  lead 
carbonate,  antimonial  galena,  green  and  blue  carbonate  of  copper, 
with  some  arsenic  and  sulphide  of  zinc.  It  is  an  exceedingly  attrac- 
tive ore  to  the  eye  as  may  be  imagined,  and  specimens  of  great 
beauty  are  frequently  obtained.  With  development  the  ore  might 
naturally  be  looked  for  to  change  and  assume  a  standard  of  charac- 
ter different  in  some  respects  from  that  now  found,  but  retaining  es- 
sentially the  predominant  characteristics  which  now  mark  it.  The 
gangue  or  matrix  of  the  ore  is  quartz,  and  where  the  lead  carbonate 
is  found  its  origin  is  due  to  the  desulphurization  of  what  was 
originally  galena,  hence  the  honeycombed  appearance  of  that  class 
of  the  surface  ore  seen  at  this  mine.  Although  somewhat  refractory 
in  its  composition  the  ore  of  the  Grey  Eagle  is  of  a  grade  sufficiently 
valuable  to  make  the  operation  of  the  mine  a  work  of  profit  when 
home  smelters  commence  operations.  The  change'  that  will  un- 
doubtedly follow  upon  development  may  also  have  a  bearing  for 
the  better  upon  the  grade  of  the  ore.  Undoubtedly  this  property  is 
one  of  great  value  at  present  and  its  future,  owing  to  the  peculiarities 
of  its  occurrence,  is  pregnant  with  vast  possibilities.  The  assays 
from  the  ore  indicate  a  value  running  from  $16  to  $80  and  up  as 
high  as  $500  in  silver  per  ton,  from  twenty  to  forty  per  cent,  in  lead 
and  from  ten  to  twenty  per  cent,  in  copper.  Six  ounces  in  gold  was 
also  obtained  from  one  assay.  Its  title  is  at  present  unsettled  owing 
to  a  dispute  regarding  the  rightful  ownership.  Lockwood  Mead  and 
William  Mead  claim  the  property  by  right  of  priority  of  discovery 
under  the  name  of  the  Bismarck  mine.  Pending  the  settlement  of 
the  suit  to  decide  the  question  of  ownership,  no  work  is  being  done 
upon  the  property.  This  will  come  up  at  the  fall  term  of  the  court, 
at  Silver  City,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  will  be  decided  at  that  time. 
So  highly  promising  a  property  should  not  be  allowed  to  lie  dormant, 
when  it  might  be  made  largely  and  profitably  productive. 

The  American  Eagle,  Humming  Bird,  Black  Eagle,  Little 
Michigan,  Lone  Star,  Enterprise  and  Monitor  claims  surround  the 
Grey  Eagle  and  cover  the  apex  of  the  vein  when  it  passes  out  of 
the  boundary  lines  of  that  claim.  All  of  these  have  been  worked 
upon  and  while  there  is  no  such  showing  as  is  to  be  found  in  the 


40 

Grey  Eagle  yet  there  are  many  things  which  point  to  a  future  value 
for  these  claims  that  will  not  be  inconsiderable.  The  American  Eagle 
is  owned  by  Marcus  Fuller  and  A.  B.  Stacy ;  the  Morning  Star, 
Little  Michigan  and  Enterprise,  by  H.  H.  Barton,  James  Barnes  and 
G.  A.  Cassil.  The  Black  Eagle  is  under  the  same  ownership  as  the 
Grey  Eagle.  All  of  these  claims  are  covered  with  a  fine  growth  of 
timber,  and  are  well  situated  for  convenient  and  economical  work- 
ing. 

The  Southwest  mine,  owned  by  Frazer  and  Holt,  is  located 
along  the  line  of  a  contact-fissure,  crossing  the  ridge  upon  the  north 
side  of  South  Percha  creek.  It  shows  a  very  pronounced  blossom 
of  oxidized  iron  and  manganese  in  several  places  along  the  course 
of  the  vein.  From  one  of  these  places  the  discoverers  took  ore  that 
returned  good  assay  results  in  silver  but  until  this  spring  nothing  but 
assessment  work  was  done  upon  it.  It  has  been  taken  under  bond 
by  a  Chicago  company  and  they  have  put  down  the  shaft  through 
the  iron  cap  and  into  a  large  body  of  excellent  ore,  resembling  in 
all  respects  that  produced  by  the  Bullion,  Superior  and  other  con- 
tact-fissure mines  of  this  district.  The  value  of  the  ore  is  known 
only  to  those  directly  interested,  but  it  certainly  is  of  a  good  grade. 
It  has  a  general  apparent  trend  towards  the  contact  which  shows 
west  of  the  shaft,  and  will  doubtless  make  in  that  direction.  No 
better  illustration  than  the  Southwest  can  be  cited  of  the  chances 
there  are  for  good  investment  in  prospects  here.  The  claims  show- 
ing the  iron  cap  upon  the  surface  are  numerous  and  interests  in 
them  can  be  obtained  at  very  liberal  terms. 

The  R.  Lee  lies  north  of  the  Grey  Eagle  and  is  owned  by  Mc- 
Ardle,  Askew  and  Peter  Johnson.  The  vein  shows  galena  ore  and 
has  a  twenty-foot  shaft  upon  it. 

The  Black  Hawk  group  of  mines  is  owned  by  Routh  and  Sidney, 
They  are  situated  upon  the  north  and  south  .slopes  of  the  ridge  lying 
immediately  north  of  South  Percha  gulch  and  are  located  upon  min- 
eral bearing  quartz  ledges.  The  principal  mine  of  the  group  is  the 
Black  Hawk.  It  has  a  north  and  south  course  and  where  opened 
shows  a  strong  mineral  impregnation.  The  surface  quartz  is  heavily 
charged  with  oxidized  iron  and  some  manganese,  and  shows  a  fair 
assay  value,  that  with  depth  may  be  looked  for  to  increase.  The 
ledge  is  an  immense  one  in  width  and  length,  being  one  hundred 


41 

feet  wide  in  places  and  traceable  for  a  long  distance.  Only  a  small 
amount  of  development  work  has  been  done  upon  the  Black  Hawk, 
but  it  will  be  actively  operated  this  season.  Assays  from  this  claim 
show  very  well.  The  Little  Jim  is  opened  upon  a  contact  showing 
quartz  with  a  porphyry  foot  wall.  It  too  will  be  developed  this 
season.  The  Little  Jim's  sister  adjoins  and  shows  favorably.  The 
Red  Buffalo  and  Silver  Hawk  are  the  claims  of  the  group  next  in 
importance  to  those  mentioned  and  show  wide  ledges  of  quartz,  car- 
rying silver.  The  former  is  thirty  feet  wide  in  places. 

The  Little  Nell  is  located  upon  a  contact,  having  ore  out  in  the 
lime  as  yet.  It  is  of  a  lead  character,  and  exists  in  the  form  of 
galena. 

In  the  park  at  the  head  of  the  Lake  fork  of  the  South  Percha 
there  are  a  number  of  claims  showing  mineral  indications  at  the  sur- 
face equal  in  many  respects  to  some  of  greater  note  elsewhere.  One 
of  these  is  the  Black  Signal,  owned  by  Avey,  Stacy  and  Fuller. 
There  is  a  heavy  outcrop  of  iron,  continuing  to  A  depth  of  thirty 
feet  and  how  far  below  is  not  known,  it  having  been  sunk  upon  that 
deep.  The  Iron  Chief  is  of  the  same  character  and  showing,  and  is 
owned  by  the  same  parties.  A  quartz  ledge  at  one  end  shows  cop- 
per and  iron  pyrites. 

McArdle  and  Askew  own  a  claim  in  the  park  that  shows  a  con- 
tact carrying  a  large  body  of  iron  and  some  quartz. 

,A  prominent,  and  in  some  respects  a  remarkable  feature  ot  the 
South  Percha,  is  what  is  locally  termed  the  "big  iron  ledge,"  by  the 
prospectors  of  the  district.  It  extends  around  the  hills  on  either 
side  of  the  gxilrh,  and  circumscribes  an  area  of  considerable  extent. 
This  area  is  entirely  made  up  of  porphyry  with  quartz  ledges  cutting 
through  it,  while  outside  is  the  lime.  The  peculiar  shape,  it  being 
oviform,  is  due  to  the  erosion  which  made  the  South  Percha 
gulch  and  its  tributary  streams.  Along  the  course  of  this  ledge  and 
following  its  ^windings,  are  located  a  large  number  of  claims,  many 
of  which  show  upon  development  extremely  good  indications  for 
mines  yet  to  be  discovered.  The  outcrop  is  iron  throughout,  but 
this  has  in  no  instance  been  entirely  sunk  through.  Many  of  the 
claims  produce  ore  assaying  quite  well.  The  following  list  com- 
prises the  principal  prospects  tocated  upon  it: 

The   Black   Diamond   has   assessment   work  done   upon   it  and 


42 

shows  a  large  body  of  oxidized  iron.     It  is  owned  by  Walsh  and 
Breen. 

The  Elk,  owned  by  Ed.  Baird  and  Wm.  Mead,  shows  oxidized 
iron  and  has  assessment  work  done  on  it. 

The  Mint,  owned  by  Foran,  White,  Evans  and  Richie,  has  a 
forty-foot  shaft,  all  in  iron,  assaying  from  $12  to  $20. 

The  Belcher  is  owned  by  Lester  Dumm.  It  is  opened  by  a 
twenty-foot  adit,  all  in  oxidized  iron.  High  assays  are  reported 
from  this  claim. 

The  Overland,  owned  by  Frank  Foran  and  Del  White,  is  per- 
haps the  claim  having  the  most  openings  and  showing  the  best  re- 
sults. There  is  a  shaft  down  forty  feet  and  several  minor  openings, 
all  showing  very  favorably.  The  deep  shaft  was  sunk  at  a  point 
where  at  a  shallow  depth  the  iron  was  passed  through  and  a  vein  of 
ore  carrying  lead  as  galena  and  carbonate  was  encountered.  Assays 
from  average  samples  of  this  ore  returned  $20  in  silver  and  54 
per  cent.  lead.  There  are  several  feet  of  this  ore  in  the  vein.  Im- 
portant discoveries  may  be  looked  for  as  more  work  is  done  upon 
the  Overland. 

The  Golden  Circle  is  owned  by  Richie  and  Evans.  It  is  down 
ten  feet  with  a  large  body  of  oxidized  iron. 

The  Garfield  is  owned  by  Petit  and  Dumm.  It  has  a  forty-foot 
shaft  in  iron,  and  high  assays  are  reported  from  it. 

The  Mountain  Girl  is  owned  by  Petit  and  Dumm,  and  has  a 
showing  like  the  others  described.  Assessment  work  done. 

The  Golden  Gate  is  owned  by  Foran,  White  and  Blunn.  An  as- 
sessment shaft  shows  a  large  body  of  iron. 

The  Wild  Turkey,  owned  by  Baird  and  Hardy,  has  assessment 
work  done  upon  it,  with  a  large  iron  showing. 

The  Leadville  is  owned  by  Ed.  Baird.  No  work  on  it  yet,  but 
a  big  surface  out-crop  of  iron. 

The  Yellow  Jacket  is  owned  by  Foran  and  White  and  has  assess- 
ment work  done  upon  it. 

The  Richmond  is  owned  by  Phillips,  Bevan,  Carey  and  Stover. 
It  is  developed  by  three  cross-cut  tunnels.  As  yet  none  of  these  has 
encountered  the  hanging  wall  and  aJl  are  in  vein  stuff  composed 
chiefly  of  oxidized  iron.  The  main  tunnel  is  in  eighty  feet,  the  next 


43 

forty  feet  and  the  third  thirty  feet.  Out  of  one  of  these  tunnels  ore 
has  been  taken  which  assayed  260  ounces  in  silver. 

The  Charlie  Richie  is  owned  by  Richie  and  Evans.  It  has  a 
large  surface  showing  but  no  work  is  done  yet. 

The  foregoing  embraces  as  stated  the  principal  prospects  upon 
the  "big  iron  ledge."  They  are  owned  mostly  by  poor  men,  unable 
to  do  the  work  necessary  to  prove  them  up  to  the  point  of  profitable- 
ness. Parties  so  disposed  can  obtain  good  bargains  upon  the  whole 
or  a  part  of  most  of  them,  either  in  cash  purchases  or  in  interests  for 
for  a  stated  amount  of  work.  The  "iron  cap"  which  is  so  extensive 
is  usually  regarded  as  one  of  the  best  possible  indications  in  a  min- 
ing country,  and  deep  development  has  proven  it  to  be  so  in  the 
mines  of  the  Percha  district.  Wherever  sunk  through  ore  has  been 
found.  The  indigent  prospector,  or  claim  owner,  however,  has  the 
will  but  not  the  means  to  do  the  necessary  work,  as  it  takes  money 
to  buy  "grub  and  tools,"  and  he  is  proverbially  short  of  both.  It  is 
an  especially  inviting  field  for  the  capitalist  or  others  with  money  to 
invest.  The  conditions  favorable  to  the  making  of  mines  are  there, 
but  the  ability  to  do  this  is  lacking  upon  the  part  of  the  owners. 

Foran,  Baird  and  White  have  four  claims  down  the  creek  that 
are  showing  up  well  under  the  development  that  has  been  done  upon 
them.  They  are  the  Ontario,  Calleo,  Stonewall  and  Clipper.  The 
Ontario  is  the  leading  claim,  and  has  a  quartz  ledge  heavily  charged 
with  iron.  Five  shafts  have  been  sunk  upon  it,  the  principal  ones 
having  attained  depths  of  seventy,  fifty-five  and  thirty-five  feet  re- 
spectively. The  other  two  are  of  shallower  depth.  In  each  of 
these  shafts  the  showing  was  practically  the  same,  and  out  of  them 
ore  has  been  taken  that  has  returned  by  assay  $25,  $65  and  $110  per 
ton. 

The  Sunset  claim  is  owned  by  McManus,  Askew  and  McArdle. 
It  has  a  quartz  ledge  showing  ore  that  according  to  an  assay  test 
carries  $34  in  silver. 

A  short  distance  above  the  saw  mill  there  is  a  large  spar  ledge  up- 
on which  a  number  of  claims  are  located,  but  without  ore  results  as 
yet. 

In  atlditon  to  the  foregoing  there  are  numerous  other  claims 
scattered  throughout  the  South  Percha,  possessing  considerable 
merit  as  properties  of  prospective  value,  and  to  which  the  same  gen- 


44 

eral  remarks  given  in  the  foregoing  will  also  apply.  Among  them 
are  the  Little  Chief,  Iron  Mountain,  Enterprise,  Knobel,  Oro  Cash, 
Horseshoe,  McMicken,  Mountain  Boy,  Lucky  Cuss,  Mountain  Peak 
and  Tammany.  There  are,  as  intimated,  others,  but  it  would  be  a 
work  of  impossibility  almost  to  attempt  to  collate  the  individual 
claims  that  have  been  located,  and  the  task  has  not  been  tried. 
Enough,  however,  has  been  shown  to  demonstrate  the  object  of  this 
pamphlet,  viz:  to  call  attention  to  the  indisputable  fact  that  the 
various  sections  of  the  Percha  district  are  ripe  for  the  investment  of 
capital  and  the  results  following  such  investment  will  surely  be  of  a 
kind  that  will  greatly  redound  to  the  credit  not  only  of  the  whole  of 
the  country  surrounding  the  town  of  Kingston,  but  of  the  Territory 
of  New  Mexico  besides. 

TRIBUTARY  DISTRICTS. 

Although  the  Middle,  North  and  South  Percha  gulches  proper- 
ly constitute  what  is  known  as  the  Percha  mining  district,  yet  there 
are  several  sections  which  have  assumed  leading  places  as  possess- 
ing mines  of  merit,  and  whose  business  through  natural  causes  is  at- 
tracted towards  the  center  ot  the  Percha  country — Kingston.  Prom- 
inent among  these  is 

TRUJILLO    CREEK. 

The  mines  at  and  near  the  head  of  this  stream  have  for  some 
months  past  been  attracting  considerable  attention,  and  as  much 
prospecting  has  been  done  there  as  is  true  perhaps  of  any  other  local- 
ity outside  of  the  Perchas  themselves. 

The  Monaska  company's  claims  constitute  the  leading  property 
of  the  locality,  and  comprise  the  Traitor,  Monaska  and  7-20.  The 
members  of  the  company  are  F.  E.  Everett,  A.  L.  Jones,  John  Mc- 
Laughlin,  E.  W.  Bush  and  J.  Frick.  E.  W.  Bush  was  the  discoverer 
and  locator  of  the  claims.  The  Traitor  and  Monaska  both  have 
some  work  done  upon  them,  but  the  "strike"  was  made  and  the 
.workings  are  chiefly  confined  to  the  7-20.  The  vein  is  a  vertical 
fissure  in  limestone,  carrying  a  gangue  of  lime  spar  and  quartz. 
The  ore  cropped  out  on  the  surface  in  an  eighteen-inch  streak  and 
has  held  out  continuously  as  depth  upon  it  has  been  attained.  The 
main  shaft  is  down  140  feet,  following  ore  from  the  surface,  and  has 


made  a  handsome  production  that  possesses  a  very  high  average 
value  in  silver.  During  the  latter  part  of  the  month  of  April  last 
several  tons  were  assorted  and  shipped  to  Denver,  Colo.  This  ore 
gave  very  high  returns  in  silver.  A  sample  sack  of  the  lot  averaged 
at  the  rate  of  over  $800  per  ton.  The  ore  out  and  remaining  on  the 
dump  will  average  upwards  of  $iocf  per  ton.  At  the  bottom  of  the 
shaft  the  pay  vein  is  about  twenty-four  inches  in  width,  with  every 
indication  of  widening,  and  shows  ore  all  of  which  is  equal  and  most 
of  it  superior  to  the  average  of  that  already  produced.  In  the  bot- 
tom of  an  open-cut  along  the  vein  there  is  also  a  well-defined  streak 
of  ore  eighteen  inches  wide.  The  silver  is  in  the  form  of  sulphide, 
with  occasional  pieces  of  native.  The  owners  of  this  property  are 
able  and  experienced  mining  men  and  will  work  it  to  the  end  that  a 
large  and  steady  product  may  be  made. 

Fitzpatrick  and  Parker  are  developing  a  claim  near  by  the 
Monaska  company's  property.  It  is  a  spar  ledge,  in  appearance 
and  character  like  that  of  the  7-20  mine.  No  ore  has  yet  been  pro- 
duced from  it. 

The  Bald  Eagle,  Buckstone  and 'Maud  S.  are  claims  in  the 
vicinity  upon  which  some  work  has  been  done  with  fair  results. 
They  are  the  property  of  Parke  and  others.  The  Buckstone  has  a 
shaft  seventy  feet  deep  and  has  produced  some  excellent  crevice 
matter.  The  Bald  Eagle  is  sunk  upon  to  a  depth  of  forty-five  feet, 
showing  crevice  matter.  The  Maud  S.  has  been  penetrated  twenty 
feet  with  excellent  results.  At  a  depth  of  six  feet  it  produced  min^ 
eral-bearing  matter  that  assayed  $69.80,  and  although  no  other  as- 
says have  been  made  since,  the  same  stuff  is  still  in  the  bottom. 

The  Consolidated,  owned  by  Webber,  Bealert  and  Fowler,  is 
showing  up  quite  nicely.  A  shaft  down  twenty  feet  has  produced 
some  very  excellent  ore. 

Farther  to  the  east  than  the  claims  just  mentioned,  and  situated 
at  the  head  of  Trujillo  creek,  are  a  number  of  prospects  which  are 
quite  noted  for  strength  of  vein  and  presence  of  ore.  They  are  upon 
what  might  be  termed  the  extension  of  the  Grey  Eagle  mine,  and 
joins  the  South  Percha  extensions  of  that  property,  where  the  ore 
zone  upon  which  it  is  situated  crosses  in  its  course  over  into  and 
through  Trujillo  and  Tierra  Blanca  districts.  The  ore  is  a  quartz 
base,  carrying  galena  and  carbonate  of  lead  in  large  quantities.  A 


40 

great  deal  of  work  has  been  done  upon  these  claims  and  in  many  in- 
winces  the  showing  is  sufficient  to  warrant  the  belief  that  mines  of 
splendid  productive  capabilities  will  yet  result  upon  further  develop 
ment.     The  limits  of  this  pamphlet  are  insufficient  to  properly  de 
scribe  the  individual  merits  of  these  properties.     Almost  withoir 
(  eption  they  show  ore  of  a  very  desirable  lead  character,  cam 
silver  enough  upon  an  average  to  make  the  work  of  operating  them 
one  of  profit,  when  undertaken  with  a  determination  to  properly  de- 
velop before  expecting  large  returns.     Immense  pieces  of  lead  "float" 
and  ore  from  the  veins  are  exhibited  at    Kingston,  which  cannot   tail 
to  convince  one  of  the  great  future   that  is  in  store  for  the   n. 
producing  them. 

Barnab\.   Parker  and  Watson   are  the  owners  of  the    Mountain 
Boy,  Hunter,  I. m  \  I »  .  li  .  \\  hipoorwill,  Ixjokout  and  Omega. 

<  M  these,  the  Captain  P...  Lookout  ami   Omega   have  the  most  work 
done  upon  them,  and  show  highly  favorable  results  in  the  way  of  ore 
out  and  in  place  in  the  vein.     The  Iris,  Black  Hawk   and    k 
also  owned  by  Barnaby.  Parker  ami  Watsi.n.  are  located  upon  an  ore 
belt  parallel  with  th<  ,.|  show  .juite  favorably. 

There  is  a  host   of  ,>ther  claims  local  ii  and  south  from 

tho.se  d<  n  the  same  veins.     All  have  more 

or    less   development    upon    them,    while    none  materially    in 

•  :Mi<  s  trorn  thu>c  as  bru  th   «i<-«  nbed  in  the  foregoing. 

Proceeding  MHlth   from  Tnijillo  <  reek,  ai  ross  the  ridges  * 
make  down  from  the  summit  ot  the  range,  the  same  ore  veins  are 
traceable  tor  miles  and  only  pass  :  tie  gulch   to  enter 

within    those    of  another.       I  hns    it    is.  as  alre.t  ated,  that  the 

mines  of  the   parallel  I   are   in    reality    what   might   be  called 

"extensions      ot    ea<  h    other,   being  all   located   upon    the  different 
parallel  mineral  veins  or  ledges  \\hich  course  through  the 
from  north  to  south. 

in  KK  \  r.i  \> 

This  section  I  the  oldest  mining  localities   in   the    Black 

Range,  claims  having  been  staked  off  there  several  years  ago.  The 
leading  mines  are  those  which  lie  up  near  the  head  of  the  <  reek,  and 
upon  the  ore  belt  described  as  cutting  ..<  1  mjillo  creek. 

Th«  s  ncd  by  T.  K.  IT  ind   (    iptain 

Dawson.  of  the  I".  S.  army.      I  particularly  fine  pn»>p.  (  •  and 


has  had  <  able  work  done  upon  it.  It  is  opened  by  an  incline 

shaft  eighty  feet  deep,  in  ore  continuously,  varying  in  width  from 

e  to  five  feet  There  are  100  i«>n^  »n  the  dump  that  will  range 
i  540  to  $500  ii.  and  gold,  ami  average  about 

twei  ad. 

The  I'-  n  is  rime-  has  an  eighty-foot  incline  shaft 

with  a  showing  of  ore  on  .lump  and  underground. 

The  other  prominent  claims  arc  «  AIM,  Blue  Jay,  Oriole, 

an  and  I.ec. 

•man  &  Maxwell,  the  well  known  mining  and  real  estate 

ingston,  have  a  group  of  i  <  aring  galena 

and  carbonate  ores.     From  these  specimens  of  great  size  and  im- 

mcc  have  been  produced,  and  there  remains  no  doubt  but  that 

fuse  disclosures  of  ore  will  be  made  upon  development 

-ospects  producing  them. 

ate.!  still  southward,  and  in  the  manner  described,  there  are 
numerous  others  going  on  over  into  the  Bercnda  creek,  where  some 
•  llcnt  prospr  .«! 

Th<  a  «  ou| de  of  splendidly  prom- 

8  mines  situated  east  of  the  claim  mentioned  in  the  foregoing. 

i  then  tome  c&rellent  ore  has  been  taken  and  everything  about 

them  presage  mines  <-,  when  once  they  are  opened  up. 

B  lies  about   tour  and  a  half  miles  west  of  Kingston, 
slope  of  the  Black   Range,  and  is  noted  for  the 
great  strength  and  grade  of  its  ore  It  has  attracted  consid 

n  the  past  few  years  and  .  so  at  the  present 

.n-.mense  and  wonderfully  prolific  of  lead  ores, 
some  of  the  location  monument-  -in-  built  of  galena 

d  opera'  <    art    now  being  carried  on  by  Mar 

shall   1  >  .  :  miner  and  prospector,  in  the  interests  of  him- 

>eli  and  a  l.as  Vegas  an  adobe  smelter 

run   with  good  success  upon   ore   produced   from  the  <li>tn<  t.     A. 
Ban  tdford  &  Troegcr  and  Col.  Parker,  all  of  Kingston,  are 

nterested  in  the   mines  of  Ir  k   and  own  properties 

-t  bodies  of  a  highly  desirable  lead  ore.     The  cL 
showing  abundance  of  surface  i"it  la«  king  development. 


48 


are  numerous,  and  in  consequence  the  investor  has  an  inviting  field 
before  him. 

CAVE  CREEK. 

About  eight  miles  north  from  Kingston  is  what  is  known  as  the 
"True  Fissure  district,"  a  portion  of  the  territory  embraced  within 
the  limits  of  Cave  Creek.  There  i-s  a  large  number  of  very  promis- 
ing silver  mines,  that  with  a  small  amount  of  development  show  up 
splendidly.  The  Silver  Wave  and  Trade  Dollar,  owned  by  John 
McCann,  are  parallel  veins,  the  former  averaging  from  four  to  seven 
feet  in  width,  and  the  latter  from  two  to  three  feet.  The  average  as- 
say results  from  these  mines  are  high,  running  close  to  $100  per  ton. 
Among  other  good  prospects  are  the  Mammoth,  Hard  Cash,  North- 
ern Belle,  Quien  Sabe,  Polar  Star,  Adventurer,  Lookout,  Winnebago 
Chief,  Hancock,  Ingersoll  and  Clifford. 

ADDENDA. 

Since  the  greater  portion  of  this  pamphlet  was  put  in  type  there 
have  been  many  and  important  changes  in  the  status  of  our  principal 
mines.  These  changes  invariably  are  for  the  better  and  go  a  great 
way  in  determining  the  future  of  the  Percha  district  and  the  town  of 
Kingston.  It  is  a  notable  fact  that  wherever  development  has  been 
carried  out  to  any  depth  that  increased  value  resulted  not  only  in 
quantity  but  in  quality  of  the  ore  bodies.  The  Superior  mine,  par- 
ticularly, is  showing  up  magnificently,  the  incline  shaft  having  reached 
the  level  of  the  rich  ore  bodies  first  struck  in  the  winze  on  the  con- 
tact. The  consequence  is  seen  in  the  immense  body  of  high  grade 
ore  now  exposed,  and  from  which  shipments  will  be  made  steadily. 
The  Bullion  mine  has  reached  the  contact  and  the  source  of  its  rich 
ore  bodies  in  the  limestone  is  about  to  be  discovered.  Shipments 
have  been  steady  and  of  uniformly  high  grade  ore.  The  Iron  King 
has  developed  an  immense  deposit  of  sand  carbonate  ore,  from 
which  fifteen  tons  daily  can  be  taken,  the  result  of  exploitatory  work 
alone.  Anent  the  the  Iron  King,  an  error  is  apparent  in  the  state- 
ment of  its  purchase  price  and  the  locality  of  those  comprising  the 
company.  It  was  bought  by  New  York  people,  and  $30,000  paid  for 
three-fourths  of  the  property,  originally,  the  remaining  fourth  being 
afteward  purchased  for  $15,000.  New  developments  of  much  import- 
ance have  also  been  made  at  the  Miners'  Dream,  Brush  Heap, 
Southwest  and  Seaside,  while  over  at  the  head  of  the  North  Percha 
the  fissures  in  the  trachyte  are  the  center  of  mining  attention,  some 
new  and  important  ore  bodies  being  lately  revealed:  The  Falls 
mine,  close  to  the  Keystone,  is  showing  a  fine  body  of  ore.  Upon 
the  whole,  it  can  be  said  without  fear  of  successful  contradiction, 
that  the  Percha  district  presents  a  more  flattering  prospect  for  the 
future  than  is  true  of  anv  other  in  New  Mexico. 


-  TO  - 


KINGSTON 


All  *  Points  *  in  *  New  *  MEXICO 


-fl 


—  IS    VIA   THK  — 


JTCHISON,  JOPEKA  &  JANTA  f  E  RAILROAD, 


<•, -DAILY  i  STAGES  £- 


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HILLS BOKO 

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FOR  INFORMATION  ABOIT  KANSAS,  COLORADO,  NK\V  MEXICO,  OLD 
^      MEXICO,  ARI/ONA  OR  CALIFORNIA,  ADDRESS  EITHER 

OF    THE    INDER  SIGNED. 

.JOHN  L.  TRUSL.AW,  W.  F.  "WHITE, 

Gen.  Traveling  Afi-ent.  (Jen.  Pass,  and  Ticket  Ag-'t. 

,  K-AJNTSAS. 


THE 

KINGSTON  TRIBUNE 

—  AN  — 

Eight  Column  Weekly  Newspaper, 


—  f  UBLISHED  AT  — 


OFFERS  TO  ADVERTISERS 


A  Medium  for  Reaching  the  Energetic  and  Prosperous  Mine 

Operators  of  the  Richest  and  Most  Promising 

Mining  District  in  New  Mexico. 


IT  WILL,  CONSTANTLY  PRESENT  TO  ITS  READERS  A  RELIABLE 
EXHIBIT  OF  THE  EXISTING  CONDITIONS  OF  THE  MINING  INDUS- 
TRY, NOT  ONLY  OF  ITS  IMMEDIATE  VICINITY,  BUT  WITHIN  THE  EN- 
TIRE TERRITORY. 


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